Li Dan didn't get angry. He put his hands down and waited for Yan Siqi to sit down before he slowly said, "I'd like to discuss the matter of selling the treasure mirror in Japan with you."

Yan Siqi snorted and said in a muffled voice: "I don't know what tricks you have in mind, tell me first!"

At this time, the cook came over with a steaming plate.

Li Dan said proudly, "This is a chef we invited from Nanjing. He's known for his roast duck in an open oven. Come, have a try."

The roast duck chef chuckled and said, "When it comes to roast duck, you can usually tell the quality by its appearance. But the flavor of this broth requires an expert to taste it firsthand."

After saying that, the chef left, and a plate of roast duck and a bowl of red stew appeared on the table.

Yan Siqi poured himself a glass of wine and picked up the meat with his chopsticks to taste. The skin was crispy and the meat was tender, fat but not greasy. He nodded in praise, "You really know how to enjoy it. This duck is roasted well."

Li Dan ate the duck and savored the red stew, smiling and saying, "At my age, I don't care about money anymore. While I still have breath, I want to try all the delicious food from all over the world."

Li Dan wiped his mouth with a silk towel, then looked at Yan Siqi and said, "Let's talk about selling the treasure mirror in Japan first..."

According to Li Dan's idea, the two companies should not monopolize the Japanese market, but should go their own way and engage in vicious competition. Wouldn't it be better to join hands, control prices, and maximize profits?

"No matter how much we earn, we'll split it in half," Li Dan said with a smile. "If you're worried, then use your people to sell it in Japan."

Yan Siqi thought this was a good idea, but he was still upset that Li Dan had paid the money without his knowledge. He glanced at Li Dan and said, "That sounds good, but how do you explain the advance payment?"

Li Dan smiled faintly and said, "Brother Yan, I have already prepared the payment for the goods. As long as you agree, we can ship them all to the capital tomorrow."

Yan Siqi was stunned for a moment and looked at Li Dan with some disbelief.

Li Dan raised his eyebrows and said sincerely, "Your Majesty wishes for you and me to work together in harmony. How could I act alone, causing outsiders to talk and disappoint Your Majesty?"

Yan Siqi was embarrassed for a moment and didn't know what to say.

"It's settled." Li Dan waved his hand magnanimously and said with a smile, "Come, come, let's drink and eat, and have a good time."

Yan Siqi had no choice but to raise his glass and toast, still stubbornly saying, "You can arrange the Japanese side. When it comes to business, you are still quite honest."

Li Dan laughed heartily, raised his glass, clinked it with Yan Siqi's, and drank it all in one gulp.

……………………

Zhu Youxiao still needs to make long-term considerations as to whether maritime trade and sea transportation can gradually change the Ming Dynasty's mode of transportation and gradually replace grain transport.

Shen Tingyang's successful sea trial gave the young emperor greater confidence.

Looking at Shen Tingyang who was bowing to him, Zhu Youxiao could not hide his admiration and joy, "No need to be polite, please stand up. Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Shen."

When the emperor said the word "hard work", modern people cannot understand the excited reaction of the ministers at that time.

Shen Tingyang's nose was sore, and he felt that with the words "Long live", all the grievances he had suffered and the hardships and dangers he had experienced were nothing.

"Serving Your Majesty and working hard for the court, I dare not say how hard it is." Shen Tingyang blinked hard, thanked him, stood up, and sat down diagonally on the embroidered cushion brought by the palace maid.

Zhu Youxiao smiled and said, "I've heard that Mr. Shen is generous and chivalrous. Why are you sitting so stiffly? A loyal minister should be loyal to his king and should not pretend!"

Shen Tingyang smiled awkwardly, sat firmly on the embroidered cushion, and said with a folded hand, "I am ashamed, ashamed."

"Forgetting his family's donations and trying to open up sea transportation, what is there to be ashamed of, Mr. Shen?" Zhu Youxiao said loudly: "If all officials are like Shen Tingyang, what difficulty will there be in governing the world?"

This was a very high evaluation. Although Shen Tingyang was only a small official in the Ministry of Revenue, and his promotion was not a high-ranking official, the emperor's words made Shen Tingyang a role model for all officials and a famous minister.

"Your humble servant—" Shen Tingyang bowed and tried to be humble, but the emperor raised his hand to stop him.

He gestured to the palace servant next to him, and the eunuch immediately took two steps forward, took out the imperial edict and said to Shen Tingyang: “Shen Tingyang, accept the edict!”

"Your humble servant, Shen Tingyang, accepts the imperial decree." Shen Tingyang stood up and knelt. He didn't expect the emperor to be so anxious. Before he could even hear his speech, the imperial decree was issued.

"The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, proclaims: Shen Tingyang is loyal to the state, having forgotten his family and donated money... He is promoted to Langzhong of the Ministry of Revenue, in charge of the Maritime Transport Department, and is granted a Qilin robe, a jade sceptre, and a reward of 2,000 taels of silver..."

The head of the Ministry of Revenue was a sixth-rank official, while the doctor of the Ministry of Revenue was a fifth-rank official. There was a fifth-rank official in between, so Shen Tingyang was promoted two levels.

Moreover, bestowed robes and jade sceptres represent honor and cannot be assessed by the rank of the official.

"Your humble servant accepts the order and expresses his gratitude. Long live the emperor, long live the emperor, long live the emperor!" Shen Tingyang kowtowed in thanks, his voice trembling.

After receiving the imperial edict, the robes, the jade sceptre, and the silver, which were then held by the palace servants, Shen Tingyang suppressed his excitement. After taking his seat, he bowed and said, "Your humble servant has a report to make regarding the sea transportation..."

Although the sea trial was successful, there are still many areas that need to be improved, such as the route, ships, and beacons and indicator towers along the way.

Shen Tingyang's route this time has not been finalized. He still needs to explore and adjust.

"…West ​​Anshazui needs to be equipped with navigational beacons and flags to guide ships entering and leaving the Yangtze River..."

"…At nine locations in Jiangyin, including Xiagang and Xugou, flags were set up to guide ships…"

"...a high earthen mound should be built in front of the Longshan Temple, surrounded by stone walls. Starting on the 15th day of the fourth month of each year (the day the spring canal transport began), cloth banners should be hung high during the day and lights should be lit at night to direct the movement of the ships..."

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!