"What boss? You're talking nonsense again." Li Dan glared at Yan Siqi and said, "Let's emulate Lin Afeng and expand our territory, not him and claim the throne. We should ask the court to take over management and grant us official titles. We should pledge our loyalty to the emperor and have a sincere heart that will shine brightly."
Yan Siqi scratched his head and smiled, "I understand. I understand everything. Granting an official title is much better than this civilian title."
Li Dan smiled and said, "Without the support of the court, Lin Afeng will end up like this."
Lin Afeng, also known as Lin Feng, first joined the maritime outlaw Tai Laoweng's team, and later inherited the old man's maritime career. He defeated another big pirate Lin Daogan and became the overlord of the sea. At its peak, he had more than 300 ships and more than 40,000 personnel.
Although Lin Feng had a large fleet, he was unlucky and arrived just as Grandpa Qi was sweeping away the Japanese pirates. In a battle with Grandpa Qi, Lin Feng's fleet suffered heavy losses, but he was lucky enough to escape from Grandpa Qi's sword.
In the second year of the Wanli reign, Lin Feng set sail with 62 warships and more than 5,500 people, arrived at the border of Luzon, captured Miyan, and defeated the Spanish.
Afterwards, Lin Feng headed straight for Manila and attacked vigorously. Although he reached the Governor's Palace, he was exhausted due to being tossed around on the boat for too long, so he had to temporarily give up attacking the Governor's Palace.
After a two-day rest, Lin Feng attacked again but still failed to capture Manila. After two defeats, Lin Feng led his men to retreat by boat to Daimao Harbor, established a capital in Pangasinan, proclaimed himself king, and named his country "Han."
Unable to eliminate Lin Feng, the Spanish requested the Ming Dynasty to send troops. When the Ming Dynasty learned that Lin Feng had founded a kingdom and proclaimed himself emperor abroad, it sent elite troops to encircle and suppress Lin Feng.
Lin Feng was defeated by the Ming Dynasty and the Spaniards, and broke out from Daimao Port with his ships and men. Some of his subordinates surrendered to the Ming Dynasty. Lin Feng eventually disappeared at sea and no one knew his whereabouts.
Yan Siqi agreed with what Li Dan said. No matter how big the merchant fleet was or how many people it had, without the support and recognition of the imperial court, it would be isolated and helpless in expanding overseas territory, and it would be difficult to persist for a long time and resist the invasions of the Western barbarians and indigenous peoples.
"Are you still thinking of revenge for Luzon?" Yan Siqi raised his eyebrows and said, "The Portuguese are not easy to defeat. We need the imperial navy."
Li Dan lowered his eyes and said calmly, "I know. But how long do you think the Portuguese can continue to run rampant? Your Majesty has ordered us to gather news and intelligence from Southeast Asia. Is his goal just to get the Mekong Province?"
Yan Siqi thought for a moment and nodded, "Although we cannot fathom what Your Highness is thinking, what you said makes sense. Tell me, where do you see your eye on? I'll take your share."
Li Dan smiled and said, "Bola, also known as Brunei. The land there is fertile and suitable for farming and grazing. The local Sultan and Tu people are weak. It is truly a good place."
Yan Siqi nodded and said, "How about we first submit a petition to the Emperor and get his permission, and then proceed?"
"That's as it should be." Li Dan stroked his beard and said, "How dare I act rashly on such an important matter? I have already submitted a petition to His Majesty, and it has probably been sent to the capital."
……………………
"Your Majesty, the musicians of the Music Bureau are kneeling and kowtowing outside the palace, crying bitterly, thanking Your Majesty for the grace of exempting them from membership in the imperial court!" Wang Tigan entered the palace holding a memorial and reported to the emperor with a flattering smile.
The emperor smiled and said, "Send a palace maid to let them leave and live a good life!"
The policy of making the lowly good become the good starts from the capital, and it can be regarded as an example for other places.
The Jiaofangsi removed its nameplate and, although it had become history, they were still allowed to temporarily reside there until they could find a place to return to. Moreover, they were paid their full salary, based on their years at the Jiaofangsi, just as palace maids were paid.
If you want to change your career, you can go to a weaving workshop or find your own way out.
At the same time, the emperor also asked Xu Ji to take the lead in organizing a song and dance troupe to be responsible for the teaching and performance of court folk music.
Although they still entertained people with singing and dancing, they were no longer pariahs in the entertainment industry. Their nature was completely different, and they could stay or leave as they pleased.
After all, many people in the Jiaofangsi don’t have any other skills. They have only learned to play musical instruments and sing since childhood. If they are forced into society, they may have to beg or even starve to death.
Since the Jiaofangsi no longer existed, the performances were no longer just for officials and the royal family. The emperor also made this clear and allowed the song and dance troupe to perform outside and receive remuneration.
In fact, this is also a transition. Once the song and dance troupe can support itself, the emperor will no longer plan to support them.
From the perspective of saving money, the release of a large number of palace maids and the abolition of the Jiaofangsi have indeed saved the royal family a lot of expenses.
Beijing had the East and West Courts, Nanjing had the Fourteenth Court, and the abolition of the Jiaofangsi and the freeing of the musicians from low status to good status was indeed a major event. For the people of the Jiaofangsi, it was an extremely happy event.
Who wants to be labeled a pariah? Who wants to endure discrimination and insults? Who doesn't want to live an upright life? Who doesn't want their offspring to be successful, to be literate, and even to pass the imperial examinations and become officials?
Now, with the removal of their citizenship and reforms, all of this has been resolved. Although traditional values and discrimination still exist, legally, they are now treated the same as good citizens.
The emperor pretended to be reserved, but he was very happy in his heart.
An imperial edict changed the fate of so many people. Good policies and good deeds made the people shed tears and feel grateful.
He casually picked up the memorial and flipped through it. There was nothing urgent. The Liaodong military report was delivered at any time, and the emperor was a little anxious.
Huh? The emperor noticed the different colored manuscripts, a symbol of the Chamber of Commerce. Clearly, he was quite interested. He reached out, took them, and began to leaf through them.
Wang Tigan looked at the emperor's face and gradually smiled, obviously very satisfied.
After all, Li Dan is a man of rich experience and has lived a life of wandering on the sea. He really guessed what I was thinking.
Zhu Youxiao put down the question book, tapped the armrests of the dragon throne with his fingers, and thought about how to answer.
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