The door opened, and Mu Wanqing dragged Princess Zhaoyang out, her face full of anger, "Let's go to the palace to ask the Queen Mother for justice."
Princess Zhaoyang struggled desperately, "Let me go, I won't go, I won't go, someone come."
Mu Zicheng followed behind at a loss, sweating profusely from anxiety.
The Yuan family's retainer rushed over and shouted, "Quickly let go of my princess."
However, none of them could get close to Mu Wanqing and were stopped by the guards.
Mu Wanqing frowned and flew into a rage, "Haha, I hate unreasonable people the most. Is the eldest princess so great? Is the princess so great? I am also a princess, am I proud of myself? Let's go, we must find the empress dowager to judge today. If I am unhappy, no one will have an easy life."
She uttered some harsh words, and everyone heard it. They all stared at the scene in a daze. Are they having a falling out?
Mu Wanqing dragged Princess Zhaoyang out, and the Yuan family chased them out. During the struggle, they started fighting with the guards.
Mu Wanqing rubbed her face after getting on the carriage, and put away her anger, "Enter the palace."
Princess Zhaoyang, who was sitting next to her, lifted the curtain and took a look, frowning slightly, "My reputation is completely ruined."
Mu Wanqing said calmly, "Asking for benevolence, you will get it."
When she set her sights on Mu Zicheng, she should have known the outcome. Are the Mu family calculating?
Princess Zhaoyang: ...
The carriage started moving slowly, and Princess Zhaoyang felt a little flustered. "Are we really going to the palace? I'm a little scared."
She had never seen the king before, and her family had its own troubles, so she felt guilty.
Mu Wanqing's mind was racing, she was already thinking of a countermeasure, but she was interrupted by him, and she was a little impatient, "Either die or get out."
Princess Zhaoyang was furious. "I am a princess appointed by the imperial court. Can you be nicer?"
She is very powerful in the southeast, and all the women in the social circle respect her.
Mu Wanqing rolled her eyes at her. "You've caused me so much trouble, and you still expect me to be nice to you. What good things are you thinking?"
Her aura was so strong that Princess Zhaoyang was speechless.
When they arrived at the palace gate, Mu Wanqing lifted the curtain and greeted the guards directly. "Please tell them that Princess Zhaoyang and I want to see the Queen Mother."
In fact, she had a token to enter the palace at any time, but she never used it.
Unless it is absolutely necessary.
"Yes." The guard took a look inside the carriage. The carriage was so small that everything was visible.
After a while, the guard came back, "Princess Qingping, the Queen Mother invites you in."
After entering the palace, Mu Wanqing got out of the car and walked, without the need for a palace servant to lead her, and walked towards the Cining Palace as if she was familiar with the route.
Wherever she went, both palace maids and guards bowed and greeted her with a respectful attitude.
This is the appearance.
As for Princess Zhaoyang, it was her first time entering the palace, so who knew who she was.
Princess Zhaoyang was a little surprised, "You can move freely in the palace."
When she got nervous, she couldn't help but become a chatterbox. She talked on and on all the way. Mu Wanqing pretended not to hear her and let her talk nonstop.
Cining Palace
Mu Wanqing immediately spotted the emperor who shouldn’t be here, and she stepped forward to pay her respects to the empress dowager and the emperor.
The emperor gave him a false helping hand and asked, "What happened?"
He knew Mu Wanqing very well and would not come to the Cining Palace unless it was necessary.
Seeing that the situation had been cleared, Mu Wanqing did not beat around the bush and said directly, "The Yuan family mutinied, Princess Liuyun was placed under house arrest, and Princess Zhaoyang came to the capital with a special mission this time."
She said it simply, but every word was like a bombshell. The emperor and his mother changed their expressions. "Mutiny? House arrest?"
Mu Wanqing pushed Princess Zhaoyang out and said, "You speak for yourself."
Princess Zhaoyang saluted the two of them with both hands and feet, nervous and uneasy, "Your Majesty, my father... intends to occupy the southeastern islands and the 19 coastal cities and establish himself as king."
The emperor's face darkened.
"Independence?" The Queen Mother was shocked. "Is he crazy? How can he have the confidence to be independent? Does he think he can fight against the court?"
"He has long been colluding with the Japanese pirates." Princess Zhaoyang knelt down with a plop, crying, "Your Majesty, please save my mother. She is now under house arrest and has become a hostage. If a rebellion breaks out, my mother will..."
The emperor looked very unhappy, but he was not shocked. He had obviously heard something. "Tell me more about it."
Seeing this, Princess Zhaoyang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that she had made the right move.
"I just recently found out that my father's favorite concubine was a Japanese woman, and he had two sons with her. This is the bond between the two sides." She quickly explained, "Before, my mother and I didn't know about it. That woman looked no different from a Chinese woman."
As for General Yuan’s military prowess, it is hard to say. It is also hard to say whether he was coerced or was in a dilemma. In any case, he has become rebellious.
"I went to Beijing this time. On the surface, I was there to see the emperor on behalf of my father, but in fact, I was there to help with contacts and gather intelligence."
Her mother only gave birth to her as a daughter, and she had no brothers. After thinking it over, she felt that it was not worth it. Even if this great cause was accomplished, she would have nothing to do with it.
Why should she be the one charging in the front while those two bastards just sit back and reap the rewards?
She kept going back and forth along the way, unable to make up her mind until she entered the capital...
She took out a list and said, "This is the contact list my father gave me. As for whether it is true or not, I have no idea. Please judge for yourself, Your Majesty."
This was quite sincere. The emperor took a quick look and saw that apart from the officials, there were also traveling merchants, carriage shop assistants, escort agencies, brothels, etc.
His eyes fell on the name of the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War. This man had a close relationship with General Yuan, and everyone in the court knew it.
This is also normal. The generals stationed in a certain place must have some connection with the ministers in the court to ensure that their military pay and benefits can be paid in time.
But now, he couldn't help but put a big question mark around this name.
Having an army to support oneself is like raising a tiger to cause trouble.
Princess Zhaoyang simply sold out completely, "My father has secretly sent part of his property and two illegitimate sons to Liuqiu Island, leaving a way out. If it fails, the whole family will go to Liuqiu Island and declare themselves kings."
Why did he put his wife under house arrest, let his eldest daughter be a spy, but settled his illegitimate son?
"Also, Aunt Zeng and the head of the family guards Yuan Yi who came with me this time said they were taking care of me and protecting me, but they were actually monitoring me."
"They are not the masters. They cannot go to some occasions, so they bring me along. I am just a puppet in their hands. I have to sell my beauty when necessary."
She poured the beans out of the bamboo tube, completely emptying it.
The emperor did not comment on this, "Why did you suddenly change sides?"
Logically speaking, father and daughter are the closest relatives, and they prosper and suffer together. It is common for a father to sell his daughter, but it is rare for a daughter to sell her father.
Princess Zhaoyang was silent for a while. "During this journey, I saw that under your rule, the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. I really couldn't bear to destroy all this."
Mu Wanqing chuckled, this is really dishonest, people like them who are born nobles only know how to enjoy themselves, when have they ever cared about the life and death of ordinary people?
Princess Zhaoyang's body froze, she took a deep breath and told the truth, "After arriving in the capital, I saw how prosperous it is, with strong financial resources and a wealth of talented people. I firmly believe that my father is destined to fail, so I might as well turn to the light and try to get leniency."
It was as if a whole new world had opened up to her. Everything in the capital city was new, confusing and shocking to her.
The economy is highly developed, and there are shops everywhere you go, satisfying your needs for food, drink, and entertainment within one kilometer.
The items are very complete, many of which I have never seen or eaten before.
The people's faces were filled with smiles, full of hope for life, their clothes were clean, their faces were rosy and they were full of energy. They lived a pretty good life.
Not to mention the luxury goods stores, they are full of rare treasures, any one of which can cause a sensation in the southeast coastal areas.
What shocked her most was the Qingping Library.
The vast ocean of books, the free and open atmosphere, and the free and inclusive rules all make people yearn for it.
This Qingping Library alone is enough to attract readers from all over the world.
What is a peaceful and prosperous era? This is it.
If you think about the situation under our own rule, it is completely incomparable.
Once the war begins, it will be lost.
Then why should she be buried with the Yuan family? It is better to cut off the tail and survive.
Mu Wanqing raised her eyebrows. It must be said that she was a decisive and capable woman, but her methods were a little unrefined. "So, you went to the Mu family?"
"I have no other choice." Princess Zhaoyang did not want to offend her. "I can't see the emperor, and I don't know how to avoid the spies around me."
So, she thought of the Mu family. If she rashly went to Princess Qingping, it would arouse suspicion.
Just take another turn.
In fact, Mu Wanqing didn't hate her. It was a good thing for a girl to have some schemes to protect herself, but she had to learn a lesson from scheming against the Mu family, lest people think that the Mu family was weak and could be bullied.
"So you're not afraid now?"
"I'm scared." Princess Zhaoyang bowed deeply, "Your Majesty, I can tell you everything, including the secret base where the Yuan family trains soldiers. I only ask you to protect the lives of us, mother and daughter."
No matter how important status, position and money are, they are not as important as life.
The emperor hesitated for a moment and said, "Mother, please issue an imperial decree to keep Princess Zhaoyang in the palace to learn the rules."
"good."
Princess Zhaoyang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, as she felt that she was the safest in the palace.
The emperor reminded her, "Princess Qingping, you are always smart. You don't need my advice. Bring more people with you when you go out. I'm afraid they will become desperate."
"Got it." Mu Wanqing had already given instructions on the way, asking them to place a few more people around their eldest brother's family.
The emperor suddenly remembered something, "The map of the sea area is in the Hongwenguan, you can go and see it, but you can't take it out of the palace."
"Yes." Mu Wanqing was overjoyed. She didn't expect such a good thing to happen.
The emperor couldn't help but laugh, "I now believe that you are a lucky star and that your wishes will always come true."
Mu Wanqing laughed out loud.
She plunged into Hongwenguan to study the sea maps and completely ignored the affairs of the Yuan family.
The emperor knows what is going on, so she doesn't need to worry about it.
Rumors were flying everywhere in the outside world, saying all kinds of things. The court officials were also very curious. They didn't dare to ask Mu Wanqing, so they ran to ask Mu Zicheng.
Mu Zicheng: ...I am just a tool, can I say it?
"No, I'm not familiar with Princess Zhaoyang."
There are always people who like to gossip and ask, "Why was Princess Zhaoyang reprimanded by the Queen Mother? She is still locked up in the palace to learn the rules."
Mu Zicheng would not offend anyone easily. Seeing that he had a good temper, he said, "Then I don't know."
"Your sister must know."
Mu Zicheng smiled and said, "Then go ask her, I'm not sure."
Khan, who dares to ask Mu Wanqing? She dares to tear apart even the first and second assistants.
Mu Wanqing was able to have some peace and quiet. She found the secret blueprints of the previous dynasty's ships and specific information about the voyage to the West in the Hongwenguan.
The previous dynasty lifted the maritime ban and made several voyages to the West. However, later on, the imperial court was shaken and Japanese pirates continued to harass coastal areas, so they simply imposed a maritime ban, not allowing any ship to go out to sea, and severely punished smuggling.
I have to say, it's a case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
She flipped through the relevant records and couldn't help but shake her head slightly. Since they were already going to the West, why didn't they get as much as possible? In order to show off their great power, they rewarded a large amount of gold, silver and jewelry, but the rewards they got were just some rare animals and worthless specialties.
Without getting corresponding returns and seeing huge profits, the ocean shipping business will naturally come to an abrupt end as it will only burn money like crazy.
She didn't quite understand that showing off the style of a great power and madly plundering wealth were not in conflict.
It is obvious that other countries have made a lot of money through sailing and completed the accumulation of primitive capital.
If we isolate ourselves from the outside world, we will only fall further and further behind.
If you fall behind, you will be beaten.
The attendant came in and reported, "Master, the servants from Princess Zhaoyang's mansion want to see you."
"No." Mu Wanqing didn't even turn her head.
Not to mention servants, even if the master wanted to see her, they had to hand her a note and get her permission before entering.
As the sun was setting, Mu Wanqing left the government office. Just as she walked to the side of the carriage, a figure rushed over and was kicked away by the guard beside her.
"Ah." A scream rang out.
Mu Wanqing took a look and saw that it was a strange woman with a shrewd face.
The woman quickly got up and pleaded pitifully, "Princess Qingping, please forgive my mistress. She is young and ignorant. I will apologize to you on her behalf..."
She looked like a victim who had suffered a great injustice, which attracted many people to watch.
Mu Wanqing looked down at him, "Who are you?"
The woman's eyes were red. "I am the concubine of the Yuan family. I hope Princess Qingping can ask the Queen Mother to spare our princess..."
Mu Wanqing's lips curled up slightly. She heard that the concubine of the Yuan family was a wise woman. Is that it?
She thinks too little of herself and actually resorts to moral blackmail.
Standing at the highest point, all conspiracies and tricks are in vain.
Mu Wanqing seemed not to hear it and walked slowly towards the carriage.
When she passed the woman, she saw that she ignored her and did not respond, so she became anxious and pounced on her.
Mu Wanqing was pounced upon and her body crashed into the carriage wall. “Ah.”
She supported her body with her arms, her face full of pain.
Everyone was shocked, "Princess Qingping."
Mu Wanqing's followers were furious. "How dare you, a mere concubine, bump into a high-ranking official in the street. Who gave you the courage? General Yuan?"
The direction of this matter was completely beyond the woman's expectations. She was shocked and said, "No, I didn't."
Mu Wanqing's eyes were cold and gloomy. "Come here, send her to the Ministry of Justice. Tell her that I was attacked and injured by her, and demand that the criminal be severely punished."
The woman was stunned. Was he going to jail for a disagreement? This was too cruel.
She wanted to struggle, but someone immediately covered her mouth and dragged her away forcefully.
Mu Wanqing got on the carriage, looked in the direction where the woman was going away, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
It has been a long time since anyone dared to plot against her so openly.
Yuan family, this is a deliberate test.
Yes, Princess Zhaoyang was locked up in the deep palace and had no contact with anyone, so people outside were naturally as anxious as ants on a hot pan.
Did he really anger the Queen Mother? Or was he discovered?
"Go to the pharmacy."
The next day was a grand court meeting. When the court officials saw that her left arm was tightly wrapped in gauze and looked seriously injured, they were all shocked and asked about the situation.
Mu Wanqing explained the situation with an angry look on her face, "The concubines of the Yuan family are so domineering and spoiled. They don't take the first-rank officials of the dynasty seriously. What on earth is the Yuan family thinking?"
The listener may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously. The officials felt something strange.
The Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War had a very good relationship with the Yuan family and could not help but speak up, "Princess Qingping, is there a misunderstanding? The Yuan family would not do that."
Mu Wanqing said calmly, "I asked someone to check, and it is indeed a member of the Yuan family."
"You are an official after all. It would be laughable if you argue with a servant..." The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War tried hard to excuse himself. The Yuan family had already come to his house for help.
He and Lao Yuan have been friends for decades. One is in the court, the other supports each other in the local area, and they can be considered a community of interests.
Mu Wanqing retorted confidently, "No, the people all praised me for doing a good job. It's my first time as a human being. Why should I be wronged? Is it because she is older and more shameless than me?"
"Puchi." Someone couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Yes, yes, the people are all on the side of Princess Qingping, no one says anything bad about her."
Mu Wanqing has a very good mass base, the common people love her, and now even the most difficult scholars protect her.
Mu Wanqing rolled her eyes, "By the way, you have a good relationship with General Yuan, right? Send a message to him and ask him to come to the capital to apologize to me in person."
"It's just a small matter..." The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War was overwhelmed. Why did he have to offend Mu Wanqing when there were so many people he could offend?
Mu Wanqing sneered, "I'm insulted. In a small way, he looks down on women. In a big way, he looks down on officials in the capital and thinks they are all softies. Are you the same?"
Officials: …They were just watching the fun, so why did they become the ones to be blamed?
"Of course not. I also think that General Yuan doesn't manage his family well."
The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War was extremely worried. "It is wrong for a little concubine to offend the elder, but there is a reason for it. She is worried about her young master."
Mu Wanqing asked meaningfully, "This is really interesting. Are you worried about the young master? Are you implying that the Queen Mother is unkind?"
The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War then realized the crux of the problem and immediately became anxious. "No, no, no, I absolutely don't mean that. I mean that he should be arrested and taught a lesson, and General Yuan should personally apologize."
It was so embarrassing that his face turned red.
Mu Wanqing said with a smile, "Then I'll ask the Minister to pass on the message. The Queen Mother and I are waiting."
Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War: ...She took it seriously?
No one from the Yuan family came, but half a month later, bad news came, "It's bad, General Yuan started a rebellion, he turned out to be the descendant of the Japanese pirates, tens of thousands of Japanese pirates responded at sea."
The court officials were all stunned. The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War said nothing they believed it. How could he be the descendant of Japanese pirates?
But all the evidence was before our eyes, and war was about to break out. The Yuan family had been operating in the southeast for many years, and they had the help of Japanese pirates.
Just when everyone thought the war was about to restart, another piece of news stunned everyone.
The three men of the Yuan family were beheaded late at night. The Yuan family was in chaos. The Wuyi Guards took down the Yuan family army in a swift and unexpected manner. This was a decapitation operation and was commanded personally by Wei Shaohui.
The Japanese pirates landed and attacked without any internal support. The wrong information led them into a trap and they were strangled one after another. A number of ships were also seized.
After three months, the war was finally put down. Those who should be punished were punished, and those who should be killed were killed.
The entire Yuan family was executed, and people were killed in Caishikou.
However, Princess Zhaoyang, the daughter of a rebel, did not receive any punishment. Instead, she was rewarded with a princess's mansion.
Her mother, Princess Liuyun, was also sent to the capital. She was demoted to a commoner but was allowed to live with her daughter.
Only then did everyone realize that it was Princess Zhaoyang who sacrificed her own relatives for the sake of justice and exposed the incident in advance. No wonder the court had been prepared and was always one step ahead of time.
They also overturned the Yuan family’s lair.
On this day, Mu Wanqing said in the court, "Your Majesty, I request to lift the maritime ban."
The court officials all jumped out to stop the incident, saying, "This is absolutely unacceptable. Once the maritime ban is lifted, the people living along the coast will never have peace."
"The Japanese pirates are cruel and inhumane. They have frequently harassed the people before. How can we live like this now that the maritime ban has been lifted?"
Mu Wanqing said calmly, "Last year, the customs duty was only 140,000 taels, which was not enough to support the local garrison."
The Minister of Personnel was very dissatisfied, "We can't just focus on money, the lives of the people are the most important."
Others echoed.
Mu Wanqing was not in a hurry and said slowly, "There are a lot of silver mines on the Japanese island. Our officials can unite and get a few large ships to go out to sea for some friendly exchanges."
"We are a kind and friendly nation. They have come a long way to send us their lives. We should just take their silver."
Everyone:……!!!
Take? Robbery, right? Tsk tsk, how shameless! And it's from a friendly country.
The Minister of Industry's eyes lit up surprisingly. "How much silver is there?"
He has been obsessed with the renovation of old cities recently. Seeing the dirty, old and messy land being transformed into beautiful new communities, he feels a huge sense of accomplishment.
The problem is that the initial investment is also huge.
"As far as I know, there are at least 100 million taels of silver." Mu Wanqing cupped her hands, "Your Majesty, let's set up a company, everyone can invest some money to get a share, and then go to the Japanese island to exchange gifts in the name of the company."
First take over the Japanese islands, and then expand step by step. There are still rich minerals and gems in the South Seas. By then, those who have benefited will be unwilling to stop even if they are advised to do so.
"It has nothing to do with the court. As for the proceeds, I suggest that half go to the national treasury and the other half be divided among everyone."
The court has only advantages and no disadvantages, so what reason is there to refuse?
As for individuals, who doesn’t love money?
Everyone gasped and their eyes lit up. One hundred million taels!
The benefits were so great that they successfully aroused everyone's desire.
The Minister of Personnel cleared his throat and said, "Ahem, we should indeed reciprocate."
The person who had just taken the lead in resolutely opposing changed his position in the blink of an eye.
The junior officials said: When it comes to shamelessness, you senior officials are the most shameless!
The emperor and his ministers made the decision happily.
Of course, wanting to exchange gifts with neighboring countries is not just talk. First of all, you have to build a few sturdy warships, and equip them with powerful firepower to ensure your dominance on the sea.
We also need to train a strong navy so that it can move freely on the sea as if it were walking on flat ground.
It took six years and a lot of money to finally build the battleship fleet that Mu Wanqing wanted.
First, we had several fierce battles with the pirates at sea and easily wiped them out.
They checked each island one by one and killed all the pirates hiding on the islands, many of whom were Japanese pirates, so they got their revenge.
After countless actual combat trials and countless trophies, the navy gradually grew.
It was a sunny day at Jeju Harbor, with blue sky, white clouds and flying seagulls.
Amid the blast of firecrackers and the loud music of drums, a fleet was majestically parked on the river. The people on the deck were ready to go, waiting for the order.
At the port, officials surrounded a woman dressed in first-rank official attire. She looked up at the warships, her eyes full of pride and excitement.
This is Da Qi’s battleship!
Du Shaoxuan, dressed in military uniform, was full of longing, "Madam, I want to go to sea a little bit."
Who wouldn't want to? Mu Wanqing raised her lips slightly, "Wait a little longer, when Da Qi no longer needs me, our whole family will go out to sea to see the world."
One day, she will let go of everything.
The officials were silent. She was the head of all officials, the Prime Minister who was second only to the emperor and above all others. She was in the highest position among officials, but she didn't cling to power? Could they believe it?
An official bowed slightly, his face flushed with excitement, "Sir Prime Minister, everything is ready."
Mu Wanqing's eyes curved, she raised the colorful flag and ordered, "Raise the anchor and raise the sail."
"Weigh anchor and raise sails." Countless voices sounded at the same time, and warships rushed out of the port with great momentum and headed towards the vast ocean.
There will always be a time to ride the wind and waves, and set sail to cross the vast ocean. Note (1)
A new journey begins!
The author has something to say:
Note (1) From Li Bai’s “Hard to Travel” (Part 1) in the Tang Dynasty.
It's finished. Thank you for your support. I'll give you all red envelopes. I'll take a break for two days and write the sequel. Whose sequel do you want to see?
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