Chapter 558: The court officials are quiet, they must be making trouble!

"Power is a dream that can be realized even after waking up." Zhu Yijun looked at Li Zhi and said a personal experience he had realized in the first year of Wanli.

Zhu Yijun mentioned the Ran woman from Yunnan to Zhang Juzheng. Now, Consort Ran has entered the harem.

This is the most intuitive expression of power, almost equivalent to being omnipotent.

Li Zhi has a degree. As long as he wants, there are countless people willing to hide their land under his name. Li Zhi served as the prefect of Yao'an. A prefect is already a high-ranking official, a big figure that most common people will never see in their lives. As long as he wants, he can cash in his power and get silver that he can't spend in a lifetime.

But Li Zhi did none of these.

Among the officials of the Ming Dynasty, how many can truly be clean?

Li Zhi pondered for a moment, then shook his head quite affirmatively: "Your Majesty, your subject dare not agree. That is just a slave to power. The difference between humans and all things in the world lies in the fact that humans have spirituality. Material desires and emotional desires are human nature. This is something humans cannot get rid of. If humans cannot restrain themselves and completely surrender to their own desires, they are going against their own spirituality."

"Humans living is not just living, but clearly realizing that they are living as a human. Completely surrendering to human nature means losing spirituality and lowering oneself to the ranks of animals lower than humans. This is no different from a beast."

"The alienation of people by power." Zhu Yijun immediately sat up straight, looked at Li Zhi, and asked with great interest: "Besides the alienation of relations between people by power, do you have any other expressions about alienation?"

Zhu Yijun immediately understood what Li Zhi was thinking about. He was thinking about the alienation of people, or more precisely, the alienation of people by power, or more violently expressed as: after people possess power, and even the power to dominate the life and death of others, they gradually lose themselves in the bestialization of their nature, changing from a rational person into a beast that completely surrenders to material and emotional desires.

"The alienation of people by money." Li Zhi frowned and shook his head: "Your Majesty, your subject is still thinking, it is not complete yet. It is better not to show off in front of Your Majesty."

Li Zhi had a deep impression of Young Master Huang's eloquence, or rather, he had lingering fears. It is better not to throw out an immature theory and let Your Majesty laugh at it.

It is better to continue to perfect his theory and then bring it to Your Majesty. Otherwise, he would be dizzy and confused by Your Majesty's questions, which would be really shameful.

Li Zhi now has two topics to work on: one is "no taxation without representation," and the other is the alienation of people. If he can systematically and completely express them, he will definitely have a place in the historical process of the Wanli Reform.

"No taxation without representation"—Zhu Yijun expects Li Zhi to completely bind the Emperor and the people of the world together, turning the Emperor into a representative of the poor and suffering, just like the Taizu Emperor in the Hongwu era.

And as for the alienation of people, Zhu Yijun hopes Li Zhi can be more effective and describe it completely.

As a latecomer, Zhu Yijun can actually express it himself. But if he expresses it himself, he doesn't know if these are really what the Ming Dynasty needs. And many things that are taken for granted in later generations are not applicable in the Ming Dynasty and need to be Ming-ified. For example, the natural emergence of these theories proves that they already have the foundation for their birth.

Instead of Zhu Yijun suddenly proposing it and creating a castle in the air.

"If you complete this theory of alienation, I will give you the official position of a Five-Rank Doctor of the Five Classics." Zhu Yijun looked at Li Zhi and said very affirmatively: "You are indeed not suitable to be an official. To be an official, you must first have a heart that competes for fame and profit. You don't even want to urge for taxes. How can you be promoted step by step?"

Li Zhi is not suitable to be an official. Zhu Yijun has seen the most officials in his life, countless of all kinds. To be an official, one must have strong ambition. Li Zhi does not. He also wants to be promoted, but he cannot be cruel enough. It is difficult to progress without turning himself into a beast in clothes.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great kindness." Li Zhi flicked his sleeves and performed a great ceremony again to thank him. He is a failure in officialdom, and the Emperor is still willing to give him an official position, which is to ensure that he will not starve to death.

What Li Zhi seeks is just a job that won't starve him to death, and then he can take refuge under the Emperor to complete his theory.

A flag-bearer who advocates freedom takes refuge under an authoritarian emperor to complete his theory of freedom. This is like a mouse tying a bell to a cat. But the biggest carnivore in the Ming Dynasty, the biggest fierce tiger in the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yijun, allows such behavior, just to make the Ming Dynasty better.

"You may withdraw and think carefully. Don't worry about those idle words. In the capital, my words are still very useful." Zhu Yijun gave Li Zhi a promise. As long as he studies his theory of alienation well, there is no need to worry about those attacks. Zhu Yijun will naturally handle those pure-stream famous scholars.

"Your subject withdraws." Li Zhi bowed his head and withdrew again. He looked at Zhang Juzheng. When he was young, he also fantasized about rising to the top, standing in the center of the Wenhua Palace, and waving his arms, but in the end, he did not walk into the Wenhua Palace, and did not even walk into the capital.

Zhang Juzheng looked at Li Zhi's back and shook his head: "Your Majesty, your subject does not like him."

"Why?" Zhu Yijun asked curiously.

"He is not a capable official." Zhang Juzheng pondered for a moment and said: "His ideas are a bit unrealistic. If he were an official in one place, he would only make things a mess. Wanting both this and that, how can there be such a good thing? And your subject is extremely disgusted with people who wag their tongues."

The impossible triangle is wanting both this and that. In this world, at most, one can only want both this and that. Wanting more is too greedy.

"Your Majesty, the words of these people who wag their tongues cannot be ignored, but they cannot be fully believed either. Many times, they are talking without back pain. Their claims are somewhat unrealistic."

Zhang Juzheng's consistent attitude towards these "suggestion baskets" is only one, and that is to shut up.

From the time the speech officials chattered about the "retention of office," Zhang Juzheng was very dissatisfied with this unrealistic statement. He disliked the advice of these suggestion baskets very much, because many times, it was unrealistic empty talk.

"Of course, some of the speech officials in the Ming Dynasty are not as good as Lin Fu. Lin Fu at least is willing to go to the field to see, and he goes deep into the countryside to get to the bottom of various problems. The problems he talks about are all problems that the Ming Dynasty urgently needs to solve." Zhang Juzheng was very affirmative of Lin Fu, whom the Emperor cultivated.

When Lin Fu first entered the capital, he pointed fingers at the Ming Dynasty's government decrees. As soon as he opened his mouth, he said that the official factory group construction would inevitably fail, and the engineer corps would inevitably fail. It was because the Emperor was very interested in his theory of freedom that Wang Qian had long ago told him to shut up.

"So he is not suitable to be an official. Go and have a great debate with Lin Fu. He is suitable to be a suggestion basket." Zhu Yijun acknowledged Zhang Juzheng's evaluation. Li Zhi wants his own reputation, wants to complete the imperial court's tax revenue, and wants the common people under his rule to live and work in peace and contentment. In an era when production relations have not yet changed, going to the countryside to urge for taxes is almost equivalent to a raid. This is an impossible triangle.

"Your Majesty, there is one thing, your subject must communicate with Your Majesty in advance." Zhang Juzheng looked at the Emperor, looked left and right, and whispered: "Annam."

Zhang Hong calmly pressed the hand of the Secretariat. Some things are not suitable to be written in the *Diary of Activities and Repose*. What if future generations read the *Diary of Activities and Repose* and find that Zhang Juzheng is a scholar?

In the third year of Wanli, Zhang Juzheng ordered various maritime customs offices to increase grain imports from Annam. After eight years, results have finally been seen.

"Teacher, please speak." Zhu Yijun leaned forward and whispered the same.

The posture and volume dedicated to secret discussions clearly made this pair of monarch and subject look a bit like they were colluding.

"Since the fourth year of Wanli, we have started to import a large amount of grain from Annam. On one hand, it is indeed what the Ming Dynasty needs. On the other hand, the maritime transport of grain is becoming increasingly mature. It can be considered a success. Last year, we imported this amount of rice from the Annam Kingdom." Zhang Juzheng stretched out four fingers.

"400,000 *shi*?" Zhu Yijun tried his best to guess boldly. One *shi* of grain is 150 *jin*, 60 million *jin*. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the grain obtained from Cao Cao's farming in Xudu was exactly 400,000 *shi*. The farming in Xudu allowed Cao Cao to conquer the four directions without the labor of transporting grain. Cao Cao was actually best at farming.

Zhang Juzheng's voice was even lower: "4 million *shi*."

"Huo!" Zhu Yijun leaned back tactically. He looked left and right and found that the Secretariat had gone to the bathroom, so he immediately said: "This is 4 million *shi*!"

Whoever can solve the dilemma of excessive loss in transporting grain over long distances can become the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty!

When Zhu Yuanzhang left 50% of the tax revenue to the local area, it was because the consumption of transporting money and grain to the capital was too great. When it was used, it was transported from the capital to the local area, which was another consumption. Zhu Yuanzhang left half to the local area, and when it was used, it was transferred from the government treasury. The result was that the government treasury was empty.

The imperial court had nothing, and the government treasury had nothing.

The Ming Dynasty has 8.5 million *qing* of land and supports 120 million people. It is actually not very difficult. However, the transport of grain is a problem of a system project. Wang Guoguang once calculated that when the Ming Dynasty did not have maritime transport of grain, the Ming imperial court obtained one *shi* of rice, and it had to consume three to four *shi* of rice to transport it. This is the dilemma of transporting southern grain to the north.

After the Ming Dynasty completed the maritime transport of grain, this astronomical transport cost was finally reduced by about half a *shi*.

"That is to say, the grain transported from Songjiang Prefecture to the capital is actually Annam's grain?!" Zhu Yijun immediately noticed the elements in it!

No wonder no one has pointed fingers at the maritime transport of grain in the past two years, and everyone has even remained silent about it. It turns out they were waiting here!

The court officials are quiet, they must be making trouble!

What is called "there is a policy above, there is a countermeasure below"—this is it.

Zhu Yijun finally understood why the maritime transport of grain, which had been fought over in the past, was so calm now. Everyone selectively ignored the maritime transport of grain. It turns out the cost was completely transferred to Annam!

"It's not that it's hard to collect taxes in the Han land, and urging for collection is too burdensome for the small people, and land transport is too expensive. This, the officials are also trying to let the people breathe. Transporting grain every year, even if it is to Songjiang Prefecture, is not a small consumption. And corvée, for the officials, is a headache." Zhang Juzheng defended the officials. There will be no problems in the accounts.

There is no need to pay expensive transport costs to transport to Songjiang Prefecture for departure, and there is no need to conscript corvée like catching strong men to escort grain. For any local yamen, conscripting corvée is a local contradiction that is more headache-inducing than urging for collection.

Hu Yuan conscripted corvée to repair the Yellow River embankment, which made the world boil. Urging for collection is already fatal, and conscripting corvée is also difficult for local yamen.

Zhu Yijun thought of the specific operation process: sending empty bags to Songjiang Prefecture, which is actually buying grain with silver. This is a matter of convenience. Songjiang Prefecture is a place where nine provinces gather, and goods gather and disperse in Songjiang Prefecture. Bai Yin will also gather in Songjiang Prefecture. In the entire Ming Dynasty, Songjiang Prefecture is the place where silver is most severely dammed.

Using the purchased maritime grain as grain for transport, and then putting it into the Songjiang treasury, waiting for transport to the capital. In this way, there is no need to conscript corvée, and a "four-difference silver" can be collected. Plus the reduced consumption on the road, the government treasury will be full.

"No wonder Wang Jiaping entered the capital and tried his best to move around, even begging before Wang Chonggu's door, requesting to establish a meeting hall in Guangzhou Prefecture. It turns out he was waiting for me here!" Zhu Yijun immediately thought of Wang Jiaping's abnormal behavior.

Besides going to the Jiekuyuan to see his old friend Fan Yingqi, Wang Jiaping's most abnormal behavior was kneeling before Wang Chonggu's door. As a student of Ge Shouli, Wang Jiaping did not send greetings to Wang Chonggu during festivals, not even a greeting, but ran to Wang Chonggu's door to beg, and went twice.

It can be seen that it is really for convenience.

"Cough, cough, Wang Chonggu was tricked by Wang Jiaping. The Vice Minister is now obsessed with the construction of the Great Works. He can't be seen all day long. He is either at the Xishan Coal Bureau or on the road to the capital. Wang Chonggu should not be clear about all of Wang Jiaping's purposes, but it should indeed be established. No matter what, he has to be beaten with a stick and given a sweet date." Zhang Juzheng whispered.

Wang Chonggu probably guessed that Wang Jiaping had his own purpose, but he was too lazy to investigate deeply. Although the Jin faction is now almost falling apart, it is still giving face, and it can be considered a good thing.

Zhu Yijun frowned and said: "So in the end, the common people don't have to be forced to conscript corvée to transport grain, the local government treasury doesn't have to consume huge amounts of grain to transport to Songjiang Prefecture, and the imperial court received 4 million *shi* of grain on time every year. Good, the teacher just said that wanting both this and that is impossible, but this was done?!"

"Then teacher, what is the price?"

"The ones paying the price are the Annam people." Zhang Juzheng said with a heavy face: "Annam only has one port, Da Nang, and all grain is gathered and dispersed in Da Nang. The merchants on the Annam land also have to transport grain. For every *shi* of grain the Ming Dynasty gets from Annam, Annam has to consume three to five *shi* of grain for transport."

"Most of the 4 million *shi* of grain obtained by the Ming imperial court comes from Annam. This batch of grain consumes more than 12 million *shi* of grain in Annam. The entire Annam can be said to be in misery. Even if the local area has three harvests a year, it cannot withstand such tossing."

"Your Majesty, reports from Liangguang, Hainan, and Luzon say that many Annam people have fled Annam to Liangguang, Hainan Qiongzhou, and Luzon to cut sugarcane."

"Cutting sugarcane?" Zhu Yijun was stunned. Sugarcane, an economic crop, was introduced to the Central Plains during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. It is a traditional economic crop of the Central Plains, and its scale is very large. It is everywhere in Guangxi, Guangdong, and Qiongzhou. But sugarcane, an economic crop, is the most fertilizer-consuming. Without fertilizer, it will not grow. Therefore, this economic crop will occupy fertile land.

For every 1,000 *jin* of sugarcane, it absorbs one and a half to two *jin* of nitrogen, half a *jin* of phosphorus, and two to three *jin* of potassium from the land. Without chemical fertilizer, every time sugarcane is planted, the land will become barren by several points. The Guangzhou Baoqi Division once tried to fertilize this economic crop sufficiently. To ensure the yield of sugarcane, 2,000 *jin* of compost must be applied per *mu* of land.

In Liangguang, sugarcane is planted once every two years.

Zhu Yijun said with a heavy face: "This work is unstable, it is not always available. It has sour, bitter, and spicy flavors, but no sweetness. It is so hard, and it is not something you can do if you want to."

"The most tiring part of cutting sugarcane is carrying it, from the field to the road. A bundle is 120 *jin*, and you have to carry it a hundred times a day. You also have to push a cart, especially in Liangguang where there is a lot of rain. Once it rains, you can't cut it. The road in the field is muddy, and the cart will get stuck in it and can't move."

Zhu Yijun really knows how to farm. Zhu Yijun personally asked about the memorials of the Baoqi Division in various places, and sometimes he would put them into action. Carrying 120 *jin* a hundred times a day, Cai Zhenming, the division head of the Guangdong Baoqi Division, described this work as having sour, bitter, and spicy flavors, but no sweetness.

"In any case, they have to live." Zhang Juzheng said quite calmly: "At present, the Annam Kingdom is divided into two. The north is the usurping minister Mạc Kingdom, and the south is the Later Lê Kingdom. Nominally, it is the King of Annam, but it is actually completely controlled by the Grand Preceptor Trịnh Tùng, and they are fighting each other endlessly."

For the Ming Dynasty to want some grain, it is not a big deal in Annam, and no one even cares, because there is a bigger trouble and contradiction, and that is the disaster of war.

Since the sixth year of Jiajing, after Mạc Đăng Dung usurped the throne, the entire Annam Kingdom was divided into two, fighting endlessly. By the eleventh year of Wanli, they had been fighting for 56 years, causing misery to the people. The current Annam is in chaos, and the grain bought by the Ming Dynasty is sent to the Ming Dynasty by the Northern Mạc and Southern Trịnh, just to buy various swords, spears, and halberds from the Ming Dynasty.

In times of war, the first priority is to win.

"In the teacher's opinion, how long will this civil war in Annam last?" Zhu Yijun was curious about Zhang Juzheng's view on the civil strife in Annam.

Zhang Juzheng shook his head and said: "A hundred years is not enough. This civil strife cannot be seen to have an end. Now the Northern Mạc usurper Mạc Mậu Hợp was struck by lightning in the sixth year of Wanli and has been recuperating until the ninth year of Wanli, when he finally appeared, because the Regent Mạc Kính Điển died, and Mạc Mậu Hợp had to come out to handle affairs."

"Even if the Southern Trịnh destroys the Northern Mạc, there is still the big clan of Nguyễn, and Annam is still in a mess."

"In a chaotic world where heroes rise together, how can it be ended so easily."

The end of a chaotic world where heroes rise together is measured by the scale of a hundred years. For example, from the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the establishment of the Sui Dynasty, it lasted 361 years. From the An Lushan Rebellion to the ascension of Zhao Kuangyin, it lasted 205 years. From the destruction of the Southern Song Dynasty to the destruction of the Northern Yuan court in the 21st year of Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty, it lasted 165 years.

Big countries and small countries are all like this. For example, the chaotic war of the Japanese daimyo in Japan has been fought for 116 years since the Ōnin War. It was finally on the verge of ending in the hands of Oda Nobunaga, but because of the Ming Dynasty's intervention, it became remote again.

The Ming Dynasty wants these 4 million *shi* of grain, which is just accelerating the deterioration of the north-south confrontation in Annam.

"Big fire to collect the juice, add some fire to them, sell them some military equipment!" Zhu Yijun thought for a moment, and he decided to step on the accelerator.

Zhu Yijun is also a scholar. Zhu Yijun is not lacking in the ruthlessness unique to scholars. He does not want to find ways to reconcile the contradictions between the north and south of Annam, but instead accelerates the deterioration of the situation.

The purpose is naturally to let them destroy everything under the intense contradiction and conflict, so that the Ming Dynasty can take the opportunity to recover the thirteen divisions of Jiaozhi, or fight out a result, so that they don't have to pull each other's hair like this.

The Annam Kingdom is not a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, but a vassal territory.

The official name of the Annam Kingdom in the Ming Dynasty is: Annam Regional Military Commission. The Northern Mạc usurper Mạc Mậu Hợp is the Annam Regional Military Commissioner, a second-rank military official.

These are all nominal. The Annam Kingdom is still factually independent. The Ming Dynasty does not even count as military control over it, because there are no troops stationed there, only simple political control. The Regional Military Commissioner was enfeoffed, and the Ministry of Rites even simply called it the Annam Kingdom.

As the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, not trying to calm the civil strife in the vassal territory, but instead adding fuel to the fire, fearing that it is not lively enough, this is somewhat lacking in benevolence.

But, the Ming Dynasty comes first, and the interests of the Ming Dynasty are paramount!

"Teacher, regarding Oda Nobunaga's request, hoping that the Ming Dynasty will send maritime inspectors to protect his safety, what do you think?" Zhu Yijun asked Zhang Juzheng for his clear attitude on establishing the Special Investigation Department of the Kyoto District Public Prosecutors Office in Japan, and Zhu Yijun briefly stated his thoughts.

"It's nothing to go to Japan to be arrogant and domineering over the Japanese. The Ming soldiers going to Japan are not going to suffer." Zhang Juzheng said with a heavy face: "Oda Nobunaga is actually speculating. Once the Ming Dynasty sends maritime inspectors, even if they don't provide any protection, Oda Nobunaga's goal will be achieved."

"Because the arrival of the maritime inspectors means that Oda Nobunaga has been recognized by the Ming Dynasty. Even without the enfeoffment of the King of Japan, he has actually obtained a similar status, which facilitates his next actions."

"To be more specific, the fundamental purpose of Oda Nobunaga asking the imperial court to send maritime inspectors is to use the Ming Dynasty's heavenly power to determine where his path lies."

The path Oda Nobunaga took before was that of a "person under heaven." He wanted to end Japan's political structure of being hollowed out layer by layer, change the prevailing custom of "the low attacking the high" in Japan, refuse to accept the title of Shogun enfeoffed by the Emperor, and not seek the enfeoffment of the King of Japan by the Ming Dynasty. He took the path of unitary autocracy.

But this path is now impassable. Under the repeated stirring of the Ming Dynasty, Oda Nobunaga was completely unable to implement his concept of "unifying the world with martial force," so he retreated and accepted the enfeoffment of the Japanese Emperor, becoming the new Azuchi Shogunate.

In addition to the enfeoffment from the Japanese Emperor, he also needs the enfeoffment of the Ming Dynasty to complete the construction of the Shogunate.

But the Ming Dynasty is not active at all in this matter of enfeoffment. Ashikaga Yoshiaki is still alive, and Ashikaga Yoshiaki of the Muromachi Shogunate is the Japanese King recognized by the Ming Dynasty. This is the ancestral law of the Yongle era. Even if the Ming Emperor has this intention, it is a huge challenge to the Ming Dynasty's ritual laws.

Oda Nobunaga wanted to obtain the official enfeoffment of the Ming Dynasty, but it was difficult. So he changed his path and asked the Ming Dynasty's heavenly troops to be stationed there to indirectly obtain the Ming Dynasty's recognition.

Even if this recognition has no written guarantee, and even if he cannot ask for a single imperial decree, this is already the best way Oda Nobunaga can think of.

"So that's his plan." Zhu Yijun's fingers kept tapping on the table, and he said with a smile: "Oda Nobunaga is clever but misled by cleverness. It is easy to invite a god, but difficult to send him away. If the Ming Dynasty really sends maritime inspectors to Kyoto, I am afraid that the power of life and death of the entire Azuchi Shogunate will be controlled by the Ming Dynasty."

"Using complete submission and handing over the lives of himself and his descendants to the Ming Dynasty in exchange for non-existent recognition."

Zhang Juzheng spat out a turbid breath and said: "He is gambling, gambling that the Ming Dynasty will not do those low-level things, and also gambling on the fate of the country, taking the future of the entire Japan as a bet and pushing it onto the gambling table. If he wins, he is the first hero of Japan. If he loses, it is just his life."

"The situation in Japan cannot be worse."

Zhang Juzheng considered this problem from a political perspective and immediately discovered Oda Nobunaga's plan. He is not asking for a garrison; he is clearly asking for the favor of the Ming Emperor.

Oda Nobunaga changed his flag and changed his plan of unifying the world with martial force. He needs a force that overrides everyone in Japan to help him complete the turn.

In this process, the Ming Dynasty will naturally get a lot of benefits. After the Ming Dynasty's intelligence activities in Japan have an official and legal identity, they will become easier and simpler. The survey of Japan's hydrology and geography, and the movements of various Japanese daimyo, can all be mastered. The Ming Dynasty can more conveniently obtain Japanese silver, etc.

"Teacher, do you think we should agree?" Zhu Yijun asked Zhang Juzheng for his clear attitude.

Zhang Juzheng leaned forward and whispered: "Agree to him, use Japan's maritime defense and maritime customs as an exchange. The Ming Dynasty will set up a special maritime inspectorate anti-smuggling camp in Japan, stationed in Osaka Bay. In the future, all maritime trade and duties in Japan will be the responsibility of the Ming Dynasty, and anti-smuggling and duties will all belong to the Ming Dynasty."

"In the name of preventing Japanese pirates."

Oda Nobunaga wants something, and the Ming Dynasty is not unable to give it, but it needs to pay a heavier price. How can the Ming Dynasty's recognition be obtained so easily? The Ming Dynasty doesn't care about the lives of the Oda family at all.

Zhang Juzheng knew that the Emperor would definitely ask for his opinion, and he had already thought of the fig leaf: anti-smuggling and duties to prevent Japanese pirates—this is the Ming Dynasty's need.

Maritime defense and maritime customs are actually maritime rights. Zhang Juzheng let Oda Nobunaga completely hand over maritime rights.

"The Ming Dynasty's strategy towards Japan is to destroy Japan, so maritime rights are crucial. Japan also has a navy. If they are united, it will still be a bit troublesome. It is better to divide and conquer." Zhang Juzheng completely expounded his plot.

This is plotting for maritime rights, and it is preparing for the destruction of Japan, not reconciliation.

If the Ming Dynasty really intends to reconcile, it is to find ways to maintain Japan in a state of balance where no one can do anything to anyone, thereby maintaining the safety of the maritime borders, rather than adopting such an aggressive posture. ===== CHAPTER 559 =====