Chapter 99 Resolution

The awkward silence didn't last long. Although he was completely confused and insane because of the prince's trick and could only say "ah" and "ah", Lord Yan still quickly grasped the hint in Master Feixuan's words - it is still unknown whether the former Emperor Jianwen became a pirate king and wandered around, but since the emperor decided to put the blame on Japan, it meant that he had decided to completely turn against the Japanese pirates; as long as the court turned against the Japanese pirates, he, Yan Fenyi, could use the crime of colluding with Japan to thoroughly purge the Weaving Bureau and the southern clans, and easily shirk all his and the prince's responsibilities - debts are settled when a person dies!

When thinking of this, Lord Yan was overjoyed and his mind became clear. He immediately prostrated himself and expressed his firm support with practical actions. Originally, he should have gone with the flow and flattered the emperor, praising his wise and brave decision, but Lord Yan racked his brains for a long time and couldn't come up with any words - no matter how to say it, this "Wandering Jianwen Plan" is too damn weird! How can you expect Lord Yan to lick something that makes his brain tremble and his mind collapse just by thinking about it for a little while?

Fortunately, Master Feixuan was not interested in the flattery from the elder. He spoke directly:

"If this... 'Wandering Jianwen Plan' is true, and the Japanese pirates are really connected to the remnants of Jianwen, what can we do?"

This question was asked to the Prince of Mu, and when faced with such a question, the Prince only had one answer:

"The Japanese pirates are colluding with the rebels, and their intentions are truly sinister; we should destroy their homes and holes, and wipe out their evil intentions."

No matter whether Emperor Jianwen is a wanderer or not, as long as the emperor is willing to fight the Japanese pirates, I will definitely help him.

Master Fei Xuan remained calm: "How do we fight?"

"Thanks to your majesty's divine power, the new rockets were extremely effective in the battle of Shangyu, and were enough to defeat the bandits..."

"Rockets?" Zhenjun interrupted him: "Wasn't the naval battle in Shangyu fought on the shore? From what you said, you still plan to fight a few battles on the shore and be done with it? How can you talk about 'sweeping the ground and sweeping the caves'?"

The prince was stunned for a moment: "... To answer your Majesty, it's not just about coastal defense; now that rockets have made progress, they can already be launched from larger ships..."

That’s right, his conversation with Ru Wang was still reserved (otherwise there’s no telling what would leak out of this big sieve); in previous conversations, mobile-launched rockets were only a vague threat of “the future”, with an arrow on the string ready to go; but in fact, with the technical support of Liu Li and Zhao Fei, the new Feixuan Zhenjun No. 5 has already achieved experimental results, just waiting for large-scale application. If Portugal really refused to admit its mistakes during the Shangyu negotiations, he could give the foreigners a lesson.

But the emperor was still not satisfied: "A bigger ship? How big?"

"There are not many ships in preparation now. The Ministry of Works only has medium-sized ships of more than ten feet long. Large ships of twenty to thirty feet are still under construction. Due to the shortage of craftsmen, I am afraid they will not be launched until next winter." The prince was ordered to supervise the coastal defense and was very clear about these data: "But with the current ships, it is more than enough to pacify the coast."

"It's more than enough to pacify the coastal areas." The emperor said coldly, "In other words, we are finally helpless against the Japanese pirates' homeland?"

Prince: …………

Two elders: …………

It was not until this moment that the three people who were summoned realized a terrible fact:

No, it looks like the emperor is about to make a big move!

Wiping out the Japanese pirates is a matter of course, but after hundreds of years of efforts, they still cannot be eradicated. The biggest problem is that we cannot control the Japanese mainland. However, it is not difficult to wipe out the Japanese pirates along the coast, but it is indeed a considerable risk to cross the ocean to deal with a neighboring country whose national strength is not weak. Therefore, when Emperor Gaozu established his dynasty, he listed Japan as a "country not to be conquered" and treated it with kindness. However, such compromise was more a result of technological limitations than a manifestation of Emperor Gaozu's magnanimity and benevolence. This became a common practice over time, so much so that when Lord Yan heard what was meant, he instinctively wanted to speak up to stop it in order to fulfill his duty as the Prime Minister.

——But soon, Lord Yan reacted: Why should he stop it?

The previous "unconquered countries" were unable to launch expeditions due to technological limitations; but is this limitation still there now?

It's not like he hasn't read the Heavenly Book, and he knows the outcome of the Shangyu naval battle. So why would he bother to look for a sword on the boat and speak up for the Japanese?

Elder Yan's thoughts turned quickly, and he immediately lay on the ground without saying a word. Lord Xu standing next to him was either frightened or just giving up, he just knelt beside him without saying a word. The ministers remained silent, indicating that the emperor had nothing to say; so the emperor simply slammed the table and took the opportunity to vent his anger:

"After one wave of Japanese pirates is killed, another wave comes. If this continues, what will happen to them? The so-called sweeping of the fields is nothing but empty talk!"

The two elders who were lying on the ground did not say a word. Only the prince answered. Faced with such an incredible question, he was stunned for a moment, and actually spoke honestly:

"Your Majesty is wise and wise. I have made false statements and my crime is unforgivable."

"You have been nurturing an abscess, and it has become a problem until today! The Japanese pirates have already colluded with the remnants of Jianwen, and you are still ignorant. Is this how my ministers do things?"

The prince once again answered honestly: "This is all the fault of our ministers for not seeing things clearly, and for causing the king and father to worry."

"Is it just that you don't see things clearly? We haven't been able to clear the land of the Japanese pirates yet. Whose fault is this?"

"This is also the fault of my poor coastal defense."

He answered every question and never shirked responsibility except to apologize; he was so docile and obedient that even Master Feixuan was stunned and could not help but look at the prince again. As for the two ministers lying on the ground, their eyes were wide open and they were secretly peering upwards, as if they thought the sun was rising from the west.

The king and his subjects have been together for so many years, and those present are very familiar with the prince's temper. This person is never a submissive, gentle and considerate person, but a highly dangerous and completely uncontrollable powder keg. He is surrounded by dangers on a normal day, and if anyone dares to provoke him, the outcome may be a spiral of disaster immediately. Highly dangerous and unpredictable, you don't want to mess with such a person!

Of course, he couldn't contradict the emperor in person, but he also had no precedent of saying so and swallowing his pride; at worst he could just lie down on the ground and fight, anyway he couldn't bear this humiliation in vain.

So what happened today? Did you crash your brain when you went to Shangyu to test rockets?

——Of course, this is because the ministers judge others by themselves and their vision is too short-sighted. It’s true that Mu Qi’s mental state is a bit dangerous after staying in Da’an for too long (then again, who’s mental state would be safe after staying with Lao Deng for too long?), but generally speaking, he still has a bottom line. Even though he often gets mad and hurts people, he still has three things he won't do:

First, he did not attack those who planned to resist the Japanese, because they were kind;

Secondly, he did not injure those who were fighting against the Japanese, because they were loyal;

Finally, he did not injure those who were helpful in resisting the Japanese invasion, because they were righteous;

Generally speaking, there are big principles and small principles in the world, and the big principles govern the small principles. It is of course hateful that Lao Deng is sarcastic and foul-mouthed and blames others everywhere, but his words are sharp, and he at least has a strong desire to resist the Japanese, and he seems to be very interested in conquering the Japanese mainland. As long as you take this into consideration, the anger of being blamed can be easily calmed down. Great deeds do not care about details, and great gifts do not refuse small concessions. Lao Deng has already decided to fight against the Japanese pirates, so what's wrong with you giving him some ground?

Our Feixuan Zhenjun and Wanshou Emperor are just a big baby in his fifties or sixties. What could have been wrong with him? Even if he was angry and said something without thinking, it must be all the fault of the Japanese pirates - it was the Japanese pirates' viciousness and cruelty that aroused the emperor's anger, leaving him with no place to vent his anger, and he actually put the blame on the prince! The Japanese pirates are so bad!

It turns out that this is the whole world's fault. For every one hundred wrong things in the world, one hundred and one are done by them!

In view of this, the prince remained silent and endured it willingly, but in fact he was not angry at all. His bottom line is actually very low. As long as Lao Deng does not make any mistakes in the general direction, he will just turn a blind eye to minor problems. But Master Fei Xuan was obviously not used to it. After being stunned for a moment, he actually slowed down his tone. To be honest, he just wanted to curse at someone in the heat of the moment, and he really didn't mean to target anyone:

"...With all this going on, what are you going to do?"

"My crime is heinous, and I must try to make amends." The prince said respectfully: "The warships seized from Portugal are still being repaired, and will be completed in about two months. By the beginning of March next year, the Ministry of War should be able to put together a usable fleet."

"Can one fleet solve the problem of the Japanese mainland?"

"This is not easy." The prince chose his words carefully, and it was obvious that he had thought about it for a long time before. "But as long as the ships are strong and the guns are powerful, we can actually fight along the coast in a roundabout way, use Qingmiao - use incendiary bombs to burn the port and destroy the enemy's shipping capacity."

It was very difficult for the Central Plains to march to Japan, and the same was true in reverse. It is impossible for the Japanese pirates to sail across the oceans to rob with just a few small boats. They must have a complete logistics base. Burning down a port is equivalent to destroying a shipping node, which can greatly undermine the opponent's navigation capabilities, with extremely significant effects.

This was the tactic used by the British during the Sino-British Opium War. Therefore, the colonists are truly excellent teachers. You must study every lesson and every insight they teach you seriously and carefully. This is a lesson bought with blood and cannot be lost even a little.

True Lord Fei Xuan certainly didn't understand this tactic, but he completely trusted the prince - oh no, he trusted the Book of Heaven, so he spoke without hesitation:

"Who can take on this important task and lead the troops to battle?"

"Of course, this is up to your majesty to decide. I dare not say anything more."

"You're still trying to be perfunctory at this time!"

"Yes." The prince had to speak up: "Qi Yuanjing and Yu Zhifu are smart and resolute, and their talents are of great use."

To be honest, Qi Yuanjing has only been involved in the command of coastal naval forces so far; he is actually quite doubtful whether he can be competent for long-distance operations. But anyway, they are just relying on advanced technology to challenge us, so it doesn’t really matter whether we command them or not, as long as we can control the army.

Was it because the navy was full of talented generals who were good at fighting that enabled Britain to conquer the world? Isn't it because the advantage in equipment is so huge that even if a group of good-for-nothings who paid to hold official positions were stuffed into the ship, they could still be invincible?

Master Feixuan rolled his eyes and thought for a moment. Of course, he didn't know the abilities of these two people, so he thought carefully about their resumes: Yu Zhifu was still unclear, but according to the report from the Jinyiwei, during the Shangyu naval battle, Qi Yuanjing seemed to have a very good relationship with Hai Gangfeng and they knew each other very well.

——It’s settled.

He snorted:

"In that case, write a proposal and let me review it. As for the matter of money... you can find Li Zaifang after the New Year."

That's right. Master Feixuan pondered for a long time and finally made up his mind to pay for it himself. If he asked the Ministry of War to pay, there would inevitably be a lot of trivial matters involved. If things were delayed too long, the Japanese might seize the opportunity and take the opportunity to slap him in the face. Money is valuable, but life is more valuable. For the sake of safety, Zhenjun spared no expense.

Besides, doesn’t Japan have gold and silver mines, a treasure trove that can’t be spent? Since he, Feixuan Zhenjun and Wanshou Emperor, have paid for the military expenses, it is only natural that he should get the lion's share of the spoils in the future. Today’s spending is for tomorrow’s income. If you think this way, you will actually be able to remain calm.

The prince bowed: "As ordered, I will submit the accounts to Eunuch Li for review regularly..."

"Why do you want to show it to him? Will he understand it?" The emperor was very impatient: "Just do the job well, ask him to sign and ask for the money! Why bother with so much nonsense!"

Every additional process would delay the process, and if the process was delayed further, the emperor’s safety might be threatened. At times like this, Zhenjun was still very clear-headed. Anyway, the prince has no hand in military power, so why should he set up these useless rules that are nothing but checks and balances?

The prince was stunned for a moment and said nothing.

They responded so quickly and decisively, and finalized a major matter with such efficiency that it was almost unbelievable. The emperor twisted his neck and finally paid his attention to the two university scholars who were just watching the show and had no sense of participation.

In the end, he had to consider the dignity of the emperor and his subjects. After venting his anxiety and uneasiness, the emperor reluctantly pointed out two important ministers:

"What do the two Grand Secretaries think?"

Any insights? The confused Lord Yan could only kowtow tremblingly to express that he had no objection. As for Lord Xu who was standing aside… Lord Xu was silent for a moment, then suddenly stood up:

"I have something to report."

The emperor was slightly stunned, then narrowed his eyes.

Of course he knew Lord Xu's background. The Xu family - or most of the Qingliu officials - all have land and property in the south and have deep roots. The relationships between them are complicated and form a network of interests that is difficult for outsiders to dismantle. Such unbreakable blood ties are often a huge obstacle to the court's administration, and even with a huge force, it is difficult to break it. It is also common for them to hinder state affairs for the sake of one party's private interests, and even confront the emperor face to face.

As soon as he thought of this, Zhenjun's face suddenly became expressionless:

"you say."

"I want to report all the prefectures in the south of the Yangtze River for colluding with the Japanese pirates." Lord Xu said clearly, "They are causing chaos in the government and their crimes are unforgivable!"

Emperor: ...Huh?

·

The strange silence lasted for a moment, and several people stared at Lord Xu blankly, with strange and distorted expressions. They had never expected that this old man would make such an earth-shattering statement. Perhaps it was because the political enemies had been fighting each other for more than ten years and knew each other well. In the midst of all the surprise and horror, only Lord Yan shuddered slightly and suddenly realized the key point:

——This old man definitely has some remnants of the Heavenly Book in his hands!

With the guidance of the remnants of the Heavenly Book, we can hear the truth of history. Only by hearing the truth of history can we quickly react to the gap in strength between the two sides and obtain the most valuable information.

Of course, even though he was aware of the gap in strength between the two sides, he was able to betray his original interest groups so quickly and decisively, switch camps at lightning speed, and provide the most appropriate assists at the most appropriate time. His vision and skills were still shrewd and experienced, and Lord Yan couldn't help but respect and fear him.

After the emperor was seriously injured, Xu Shaohu kept a low profile for several months, enduring the humiliation of seeing the younger generation Gao Suqing overtake him. It's been three months since we last met, and you have made great progress!

No matter what outsiders speculate, once Lord Xu has spoken, he cannot go back on his word. The emperor was stunned for a moment, and apparently realized the weight of Xu Shaohu's generous statement, so the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and a smile of appreciation emerged.

"Very good." He said softly, "I understand."

After the Heavenly Book incident, there were actually quite a few disagreements between the emperor and the two cabinet ministers, and they did not get along well with each other. But clothes are never as good as new, and people are never as good as old. When the time comes, your old baby will still know how to care for you better. With this casual word of praise, all the disgusting past events can come to a temporary end.

It would be safer if the flag of Qingliu and Yandang were controlled by old acquaintances.

With Xu Shaohu's words, Master Fei Xuan had the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the situation. He pretended to think about it and said coldly:

"Lord Xu said that there are people in the south who are in contact with the Japanese. I have heard about this as well. There are always some people on the coast who are greedy for profit and collude with the Japanese pirates to smuggle. They are so bold and reckless that they even ignore the laws of the court. This is intolerable! If I don't take drastic measures, the whole world will laugh at my weakness!"

Fighting against the Japanese pirates is a righteous cause, and exterminating the traitors is also a righteous cause, so the prince followed the elder in bowing solemnly without a single word of objection.

After using the topic to elaborate, the emperor put forward the ideas he had prepared long ago:

"This is not a solution. After we get rid of these rats, we have to regulate the trade along the coast as well!"

Thank God, after tasting the sweetness of maritime trade, Lao Deng finally got the taste for it and did not follow the example of his ancestors who threw out the baby with the bath water and simply banned it; instead, he seriously thought about management issues. As the saying goes, it is better to loosen up than to block, so we still have to find ways to make use of this huge profit.

Master Feixuan had already made up his mind. After he pacified the Japanese pirates, he would catch all of their accomplices on the charge of collaborating with the Japanese and then kill them all in one fell swoop. It is easy to get things done with a blank sheet of paper. After almost all the people have been killed, the current Shaoxing prefect Hai Gangfeng will be promoted for his merits in helping to suppress the Japanese pirates, and he will be ordered to take charge of the important task of investigating smuggling in the southeast area - the so-called cutting the weeds at their roots. Even if all the people involved are killed, as long as he thinks that the extremely dangerous "opium" may still flow in through the smuggling channels, Master Feixuan will feel terrified and can't help feeling anxious and terrified. Perhaps only with Hai Gangfeng's sword guarding the country's borders, can he sleep peacefully.

Zhenjun had already made up his mind. As soon as the framework for investigating smuggling was set up, he would immediately formulate a system and make it clear to the world: the rest would be fine, but those who smuggled opium and poppy would be subject to death! Cut into pieces! Skinned and herbivorous! If I don't show you my skills, you won't know that I am a descendant of Emperor Gaozu!

Judging from the details in the heavenly book, these poppies are likely to have come from India - no wonder the war with India was fought in the future, it should have been fought long ago!