With Daiyu returning to Jinling to prepare for her marriage, the courses at Mingde Academy were temporarily taken over by Ma Qi's niece, Lady Fucha.

Fucha was born into a prominent Manchu family. She was learned and gentle, and quickly became friends with the students.

Although the college is small, with fewer than fifty students, a deep bond has already been established between teachers and students.

The addition of Lady Fuca not only allowed the course to continue, but also attracted more Manchu nobles to send their daughters to the academy.

Gradually, Mingde College became a model of women's education.

Many prominent families took pride in the fact that their daughters had studied here, and even secretly competed to send their daughters to the academy, hoping to acquire some of its knowledge and elegance.

But Yongzheng's thoughts drifted to distant places.

The merchant fleet, which had been at sea for a month, had not sent any news, which made him feel uneasy.

Every morning after court, he would stand alone in front of the map in the Imperial Study, gazing at the sea areas marked with shipping routes, his fingers gently tapping the edge of the table.

This fleet carried his hopes, concerning not only trade interests but also the prestige of the Qing Dynasty.

Going to sea is fraught with risks, but thinking of what my ninth brother, Yuntang, said a month ago, I felt a little more at ease.

One month ago, Yangxin Hall

That afternoon, Emperor Yongzheng sat behind his desk, toying with an exquisite flintlock pistol in his hand, which was the latest replica made by the Ministry of Works.

His gaze was deep, his thoughts still lingering on the report of the last naval battle—although the English warships were repelled, the Fujian navy also paid a considerable price.

If the "Weihai" hadn't arrived in time, the outcome would have been uncertain.

Su Peisheng walked quietly into the hall and whispered, "Your Majesty, Ninth Prince requests an audience."

Yongzheng put away his pistol and said calmly, "Summon them."

A moment later, Yuntang strode into the hall, bowed, and said impatiently, "Your Majesty, I have important matters to report!"

Yongzheng looked up at him, his tone calm: "What is it?"

Yuntang's eyes gleamed with excitement: "Your Majesty, I have recently become close friends with several Western missionaries. I have learned from them that the Western naval gun technology is actually inferior to that of our Great Qing! In particular, their steam engines are still in their infancy and far from reaching the level of practicality that we have."

Yongzheng's gaze sharpened, and he lightly tapped his fingers on the imperial desk: "Is this true?"

Yuntang nodded emphatically: "Absolutely true! Those missionaries, in order to curry favor with me, even presented me with several of the latest scientific and technological books. I glanced through them and found that many of the technologies recorded therein were already mastered by our Great Qing, and were even more advanced!"

A flicker of surprise crossed Yongzheng's eyes, followed by deep thought. If what Yuntang said was true, perhaps the threat from the West had been overestimated?

But on second thought, the formidable strength of the British warships is undeniable.

He said in a deep voice, "Ninth Brother, this matter is of great importance. Do you have any concrete evidence?"

Yuntang took out a beautifully bound book from his bosom and presented it with both hands: "Your Majesty, please take a look. This is the latest French publication, 'Principles of Machinery.' The steam engine design recorded in it is not as good as that made by the Ministry of Works of our Great Qing."

Yongzheng took the book, quickly flipped through a few pages, and his brows gradually relaxed.

The techniques described in the book are indeed quite rudimentary, and some parts are even still in the theoretical stage.

He closed the book and looked sharply at Yuntang: "Ninth Brother, what is your opinion on this?"

Yuntang took a deep breath, his eyes revealing his ambition: "Your Majesty, since Western technology is inferior to that of our Great Qing, why don't we take this opportunity to seize all the territories outside and make them pay tribute every year? Wouldn't that be wonderful!"

Yongzheng narrowed his eyes slightly, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

Yuntang's suggestion, though bold, was not without reason.

If the Qing Dynasty had taken the initiative to strike before the rise of Western countries, it might have truly laid the foundation for an everlasting dynasty.

But he also knew that going on an expedition overseas was by no means easy and required careful planning.

Yun'er once said that the Industrial Revolution in the West led to rapid technological advancements, causing a large amount of silver from the Qing Dynasty to flow overseas.

As a result, China fell behind in all aspects, including the economy and military. Being backward means being vulnerable to attack.

What he needs to do is gradually shift from military leadership to comprehensive leadership.

What exactly is this "Industrial Revolution"? We can ask Ninth Brother to go and find out first, since he has a keen business sense.

After a moment of silence, Yongzheng slowly spoke: "I will carefully consider my ninth brother's proposal."

The most pressing task at hand remains strengthening the navy, while continuing to acquire Western technology. Eighth Brother is about to set sail again; would you be interested in joining him?

Upon hearing this, Yuntang was overjoyed and quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Your Majesty, I am willing to go! I will certainly assist you, Eighth Brother, and share Your Majesty's burdens!"

Yongzheng nodded: "In that case, you will go to sea with your eighth brother. Remember, the main purpose of this trip is to collect technology, especially industrial skills. Do not cause any unforeseen problems."

Yuntang solemnly replied, "Your Majesty's teachings will be remembered by your humble servant."

---

Tianjin Port before departure.

Yun Si stood by the dock, gazing solemnly at the rows of merchant ships moored in the distance.

Lan Dingyuan walked to his side and whispered, "Eighth Prince, Ninth Prince has also requested to go to sea, and the Emperor has agreed."

Yinzhi sighed softly: "Ninth Brother is impatient and too ambitious. An expedition overseas is no child's play; it requires the right time, place, and people."

However, the news he brought reminded us that the West is not monolithic, and if we can make good use of it, it might truly give our Great Qing Dynasty a head start.

Lan Dingyuan seemed to be thinking: "Does Eighth Master mean that in addition to gathering technology, we can also secretly befriend the opposition forces in Western countries?"

Yun Si smiled slightly: "That's right. There are many contradictions among Western countries. If we can divide and weaken them, we will surely achieve twice the result with half the effort."

As the two were talking, they heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats behind them.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!