"A few days ago, I received a report from the Nanjing garrison that Japanese pirates are rampant along the coast, burning, killing, and looting. I am deeply worried. My army of the Great Song Dynasty cannot and dares not fight. They can't even resist a few dozen Japanese pirates. Can I trust them to protect the Great Song Dynasty?"

"It is said that the king's worries are a disgrace to his ministers, and the people's poverty is a disgrace to the literati. The Song Dynasty is ruled by me and the literati, and the only issue discussed at today's court meeting is the Japanese pirates."

"Express your opinions, and do not hide them. I will not pursue any of what you have discussed today, and I will not punish you for your words. You are all loyal ministers of the Great Song Dynasty, so please speak freely. I am all ears."

Zhao Huan handed the memorial to Zhang Yong and asked him to read the contents of the memorial to everyone.

Being criticized by name, the officials of the Ministry of War were very embarrassed and a little ashamed. They all lowered their heads and remained silent.

"Cough! Cough!" This is the interruption etiquette of the Song Dynasty, reminding others that I am about to report something and they should not stand up and be impolite.

A man slowly stepped out from the ranks below, bowed, and said in a clear voice, "Your Majesty, the Director of the Imperial Observatory, Zhou Yunyi, has something to report."

"I observed the celestial phenomena at night and found that the Ziwei Emperor Star was dim, the Tiansha Song was bright, and the Niu Dou was clashing with the Tianlang. I calculated with my fingers that this disaster will come from the east, and now it has come true."

Zhao Huan had no idea what the hexagrams were, so he interrupted and said, "Please explain it in detail. Don't talk about the celestial phenomena, just talk about the Japanese pirates."

"Yes, Your Majesty, please take a look." Zhou Yunyi took out a piece of rice paper from his sleeve and unfolded it.

"This is a map of my Great Song Dynasty. These are the locations and routes of recent Japanese pirate incursions into our Great Song. I've connected them with lines. Look, everyone! This shape is a map of Japan. I assert that the pirates' actions this time were definitely more than just burning, killing, and looting. They must have a deeper purpose."

As soon as Zhou Yunyi's point of view was put forward, it caused an uproar in the court. Officials began to communicate with each other in a low voice, all of them were angry. What were they doing to the small country of Japan?

"Silence!" Zhang Yong cracked the whip in his hand.

"Show me the map!"

Soon a eunuch handed the map to Zhao Huan. Zhao Huan took the map and looked at it. The figure connected by red lines looked like a twisted worm, which was exactly the shape of the map of Japan.

"Have you discovered any deeper meaning?"

"Your Majesty, I have some guesses. This shape corresponds to the positions of the Big Dipper. From north to south, they are Yaoguang, Kaiyang, Yuheng, Tianquan, Tianji, Tianxuan, and Tianshu."

"Whenever the Japanese pirates arrive in a place, they kill people as sacrifices, attracting evil spirits. The seven lines of communication converge into a knife, attempting to damage the dragon veins of Jinling, the Great Song Dynasty."

"People have vitality, and the earth has earth energy. If a person injures the seven meridians, he will die. If the earth breaks through the seven gates, he will die. These seven gates happen to be where the Japanese pirates invaded this time. Fortunately, God blesses the Song Dynasty, and Nanjing has been defended."

"To be so vicious, the small country of Japan actually harbors evil intentions. Damn it."

The ministers were in an uproar. In the Song Dynasty, Feng Shui was very popular, including the Four Pillars and Five Elements, Zi Wei Dou Shu, and Plum Blossom Yi Shu.

Moreover, Zhou Yunyi also provided such solid evidence: the knife was right there on the map of the Song Dynasty, with the tip of the knife pointing towards Nanjing.

Not Song Jueli.

Zhao Huan is a new-era proletarian revolutionary who has received nine years of compulsory education and studied natural sciences and ideology and morality. He does not particularly believe in feng shui and luck.

A mere 72 Japanese pirates didn't look like they were carrying a huge mission. Wasn't it the lack of combat effectiveness of the garrisons that gave the Japanese pirates an opportunity to exploit, leading to their rampant arrogance? If the Japanese pirates had been wiped out the moment they landed in Kuaiji, this wouldn't have happened.

That may make sense, but this is not the answer Zhao Huan wants. What Zhao Huan wants to hear is someone who can suggest lifting the ban on sea trade, strengthening the army, suppressing the Japanese pirates, and going out into the world.

Seeing the discussion in the court, Zhao Huan signaled Zhang Yongming to keep quiet.

"Zhou Jianzheng's words were very good, exposing Japan's evil ambitions. Regarding how to protect the destiny of the Song Dynasty, the Imperial Observatory should produce a charter and submit a memorial."

"Zhou Jianzheng has made a good start in his position, planning his policies accordingly. Now that I'm in my position, please share your thoughts."

"Cough! Cough!"

"I, Zhang Cong, a scholar in the Hanlin Academy, have something to report. I believe the threat of Japanese pirates stems from the maritime ban. The so-called Japanese pirates, numbering less than a thousand, are actually bandits operating near the coasts of Zhangzhou and Wenzhou. The threat of Japanese pirates stems from the fact that people from Fujian and Zhejiang profit from naval commerce with foreigners, gathering numerous followers and resorting to outrageous schemes."

Zhang Cong summed it up this way: "When the market is open, bandits turn into merchants; when the market is closed, merchants turn into bandits."

Zhang Cong spoke earnestly, "I implore Your Majesty to abolish the maritime ban and follow the example of Emperor Yongle by sending voyages to the Western Ocean. If the Song Dynasty does not seize the wealth on the sea, other countries will. The Song Dynasty prospered because the Maritime Customs Office obtained a large amount of wealth from the sea."

"According to the Yongle Encyclopedia, the Maritime Customs Offices in Guangdong and Guangxi alone collected two million taels of silver in tax revenue annually. Last year, the Song Dynasty's tax revenue was only 11 million taels of silver."

As soon as Zhang Cong finished speaking, the sound of "cough cough" came one after another in the Fengtian Hall, just like the non-stop QQ messages.

"quiet!"

"I, Luo Qinshun, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, have something to report. The maritime ban is an ancestral system, and the laws of our ancestors cannot be changed. The current Japanese invasion is a testament to the Song Dynasty. The maritime ban should be tightened, not relaxed. The ferry boats should be abolished, the militia should be strictly enforced, and traitors should be rounded up. Not a single sail should be allowed to sail to sea. The Maritime Customs Office must not be reopened. Requesting that the maritime ban be relaxed is treasonous, and Zhang Cong should be severely punished."

"I said, everyone can express their opinions today. No one will be punished for what they say."

Zhao Huan criticized Luo Qinshun and then asked the officials to continue the discussion.

This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!