Chapter 205 I've Become a Great Power

"Your Majesty, our silk is very popular overseas, and it sells for more than five times the price in the capital. As for porcelain, I only bring out a limited quantity of porcelain when I go to a place, and I don't stay long. I just auction it off to the highest bidder, which makes them fight over it every day."

The long book in Fu Yu's hand recorded all his experiences over the past two years. He was reporting the important details to the Emperor and the Crown Prince in detail. Behind him, the guards opened the boxes that had been carried to the hall one by one. As Fu Yu spoke slowly and deliberately, the boxes were opened one by one, and they were filled with gold and silver treasures.

"Foreigners are barbarians and do not understand the art of our Qing Dynasty porcelain. They cannot even distinguish between ordinary white porcelain and sweet white glaze. They will buy any porcelain they find beautiful. I have investigated this matter and found that perhaps it is because of the soil and water that their land cannot produce porcelain like ours. That is why they are so enthusiastic about our porcelain."

His words were reasonable and well-founded, and the chests full of gold and silver behind him were the best and most powerful proof.

All the silver spent on purchasing goods and preparing for the voyage back then wouldn't amount to even a tenth or a twelfth of what's in the main hall now. Moreover, Fu Yu brought back not only gold and silver, but also other goods from outside, which haven't even been moved in yet. This voyage has truly been a resounding success.

Hongzhao listened to Fu Yu's words with one ear, while his attention was entirely focused on the people covered in burlap on the outside.

Their skin was as black as ink, their hair curly, and even their clothes looked as if they had been specially altered from linen for the emperor's audience. Although they could cover their bodies, they all seemed unaccustomed to wearing them.

This is... the first Filipina maid?

Wait a minute, it seems I've become... a powerful nation...

He only asked Fu Yu to keep an eye out for any undeveloped islands in the distance, or any isolated islanders... but he actually brought them all back.

As Fu Yu spoke, he turned his head slightly. He noticed that the Crown Prince's gaze was constantly glancing back. He realized that the Crown Prince's initial intention in asking him to go to sea with him was not to earn a lot of money. Thinking of the Crown Prince's instructions before departure, Fu Yu raised his hand and clapped it twice.

"Your Majesty and Your Highness, the finest and most precious goods have been selected and sent to the palace for Your Majesty, Your Highness, and the ladies to enjoy and admire. We have also replaced many ordinary items, in accordance with the arrangements made before departure. They will be sold outside under the name of the Thirteen Factories."

Several large wooden crates were carried into the hall, but this time the people carrying them were not guards, but the Filipino maids that Hongzhao had been keeping an eye on.

Looking at the black-faced men dressed in mourning clothes before him, Yinzhen also showed his doubt, and couldn't help but lean forward slightly to ask, "Who are they?"

"Your Majesty may not know this, but after sailing for one year and three months, the fleet encountered a strong storm at sea. We deviated from our intended course and ended up on an island that was not very large and was not marked on the map. These people are the inhabitants of the island."

He looked back and saw that these people were communicating with him through some means. As soon as they made eye contact, they quickly knelt down, mumbling something incoherently. Hongzhao guessed that they were imitating others to pay their respects to the emperor.

"Your Majesty, the person in the lead is the leader. Although the island is not large, it has mineral resources. The people on the island live in seclusion and do not know the value of gold mines. They only regard them as pretty pebbles."

Taking advantage of the fact that these islanders couldn't understand Mandarin, Fu Yu spoke with great impunity.

“This servant has already marked the island on the map. Since the gold mine is useless to them, we might as well take over it. This servant only learned on this trip that it’s not just our Great Qing that engages in long-distance trade; many other countries, including Tsarist Russia, do it too. Some even started much earlier than us. Island like this is always dealt with by whoever discovers it first.”

“They are naturally unable to resist external invasion with their bare hands. It’s only a matter of time before they are discovered and breached. Why don’t we send troops from our Great Qing to garrison them? This will also prevent the mineral resources from being wasted. If these islanders are willing to come, we can also arrange jobs specifically for them.”

These words sound grand and dignified, but in reality, they boil down to just a few key points.

1. They've set their sights on the gold mine.

2. He's taken a liking to the Filipino maid.

3. He had his eye on that island. The more Yinzhen listened, the more pleased he became. He leaned back, clasped his hands together, and smiled as he replied, "Good, truly excellent. Fu Yu, your considerations are thorough. You have truly lived up to the expectations and painstaking efforts of me and the Crown Prince."

Then, as if with a sigh, he shifted his gaze from Fucha Fuyu to the Filipino maid, and then to Hongzhao beside him. The thoughts swirling in his eyes made it difficult to discern the emperor's deep contemplation. He murmured, "Indeed, the children of the Fucha family are all well-mannered."

With such a maternal family, would the future empress benefit Hongzhao, or would the growing power of the maternal relatives create obstacles? Yinzhen was unsure for a moment, but in any case, he was certain that he would receive the reward from Fuyu today.

He waved away the imperial edict that Su Peisheng had prepared long ago. He hadn't expected this voyage to bring such great profits and such novel discoveries, and the reward he had set for Fu Yuyuan was clearly insufficient now. Therefore, Yinzhen spoke while thinking, fiddling with the ring on his finger.

"You have always been by the Crown Prince's side and have been taught by renowned teachers. I am very pleased with your competence. Now that you have made great contributions, I hereby grant you the position of Attendant Reader in the Hanlin Academy. You do not need to take up the post yet. You can stay by the Crown Prince's side for the past two years and familiarize yourself with the affairs again."

Giving him an official title but not real power was the best plan Yinzhen could come up with at the moment. He would wait until Hongzhao married the Crown Princess. At that time, he would decide whether or not to grant this favor, and when and how to grant it would be up to him.

After all, back then, getting married meant he was a fully grown adult. But things are different now, so Yinzhen has to think more about him.