Zhu Yunying had considered the idea of ​​global colonization, but he was also well aware that such a thing was highly unrealistic. At least given the current level of productivity and technology, Zhu Yunying knew that this possibility was practically out of the question during his reign, so he didn't need to have too high expectations.

But even if he couldn't colonize the world, all Zhu Yunying needed to do was lay a solid foundation.

He may not have been able to colonize the world during his reign, or even have many colonies, but as the British Emperor, he should have been a pioneer and laid a solid foundation for the maritime civilization of the Ming Dynasty.

After all, many people know that Chinese civilization has always been a land-based civilization, with an unparalleled passion and dedication to the land for thousands of years. However, the enthusiasm for discovering more through the ocean seems somewhat diminished.

While China has a history of maritime trade, this does not demonstrate the greater influence of maritime civilization on Chinese civilization. Moreover, Zhu Yunying was well aware that even now, productivity levels were insufficient, but the Age of Discovery was just around the corner.

If the Ming Dynasty didn't seize this opportunity, then others would. Perhaps a hundred years later, we would see foreigners in Southeast Asia, and there might even be wars breaking out.

After all, the Ming Dynasty in history also fought wars with Europeans, and it wasn't just Zheng Zhilong, Zheng Chenggong, and others who fought against the Dutch.

Zheng He arrived at the Wuying Hall and immediately knelt down upon seeing Zhu Yunying, saying, "This servant greets Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty!"

Zhu Yunying glanced at Zheng He and asked, "What are your thoughts on having you supervise the shipyard these past few days?"

"Your Majesty, this servant is merely carrying out the tasks assigned to me." Zheng He was very dutiful. Despite his meteoric rise in the eyes of some, he remained humble. "To have the honor of serving Your Majesty is..."

Zhu Yunying grew impatient; he'd heard too much flattery. "I don't want to hear that nonsense! I want to ask you, when you saw those big ships, were you tempted? Have you ever thought about going to the South Seas with our Ming Dynasty's navy?"

Zheng He's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately answered loudly, "Your subject obeys!"

Eunuchs actually had ranks. For example, Wang Chengen was a fourth-rank official, holding the title of Grand Eunuch. These were the real eunuchs. Other eunuchs, or palace eunuchs, had ranks that were not as high, but they still had their own.

For example, Zheng He used to be just a minor official, one of the most insignificant figures. But now he is the Assistant Director of the Imperial Household Department, second only to the Junior Director and the Grand Eunuch. He has successfully climbed to the third level of the seven-level system of eunuchs, and can be considered to have a small presence.

As for his own thoughts, Zheng He didn't really have many. He only knew to do what His Majesty the Emperor had instructed, and that was enough. That was the foundation of his livelihood.

After all, he was originally just a prisoner of war, a spoil of war captured by the enemy. This eunuch from Yunnan had never seen the sea before and indeed had no real feelings about it, so of course he had no sentiments or anything like that.

Zhu Yunying looked at Zheng He and said, "Next time, you will go to sea with the fleet."

Zhu Yunying felt a slight pang of regret; he should have sent Zheng He to Ryukyu with Shang Wuning. As one of Zhu Yunying's eunuchs, Zheng He held a certain position and was suitable to deliver imperial decrees. Given Zheng He's status, he was indeed suitable.

Although it's possible to send Zheng He to catch up with Shang Wuning and the others, that's just wishful thinking; Zhu Yunying doesn't intend to change his mind so easily.

This wasn't because Zhu Yunying placed great importance on the Zhongshan State or Shangwu Ning; it was simply to give Zheng He more experience. Zhu Yunying intended to start giving Zheng He more opportunities.

The historical Zheng He was not merely a eunuch and navigator; he was also an outstanding diplomat and even a military strategist, possessing considerable ability. Otherwise, he wouldn't have led his massive fleets on repeated voyages to Southeast Asia.

Zhu Yunying naturally didn't need to burden Zheng He with too much responsibility at this stage, and wouldn't give Zheng He a large fleet. But now it was time for Zheng He to set sail first; no matter how much theoretical knowledge he had, it was more appropriate for him to spend some time at sea.

The text details some matters concerning Zheng He, essentially outlining his specific tasks. It's clear that Zheng He was merely a 'military supervisor,' seemingly possessing some authority but lacking real power.

Going with the fleet to Southeast Asia to broaden one's horizons was naturally a very important thing, but it also helped the emperor gather intelligence.

Even though Zhu Yunying did know about the separation of powers and his intelligence system was relatively complete, he still couldn't just rely on the words of his ministers. He needed more channels to verify certain things.

Zheng He didn't know what fear was. The sea and such might be dangerous, but he knew even more that only by doing certain things well could he become the emperor's confidant and have the opportunity to achieve certain merits.

As for using human lives to continuously expand maritime civilization, Zhu Yunying had no psychological burden; these things had to be done.

It wasn't that Zhu Yunying was heartless, but rather that some things had to be done. Moreover, although there were certain dangers in going to Southeast Asia, the Ming Dynasty was confident enough, and its maritime technology was advanced enough.

Whether this meant going directly to the Americas, without immediately starting the Age of Discovery, or crossing the Indian Ocean, the Cape of Good Hope, etc., it was relatively safe.

After giving Zheng He some instructions, Zhu Yunying told him to prepare. If Zheng He failed to seize the opportunity this time, or if Zhu Yunying's actions caused a change in Zheng He's fate, that would be a different story.

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