Extra (V) The Four Seas Are Peaceful, the Nine Provinces Are Peaceful (End)

"Shuyan, congratulations. The things your fleet brought back have opened the eyes of the entire capital."

"That's right. Now our Shuyan is going to become the richest person in Dazhao."

Lu Shuyan said calmly: "It's just that I took advantage of the opportunity. Now the court encourages maritime trade. It won't be long before these things in my shop are no longer new."

Lu Shuyan felt that she was lucky because of the word "fast". The court was now vigorously developing maritime trade, but because it was just the beginning, many people were still waiting and watching. After all, organizing a fleet to go out to sea required a lot of investment. If there were storms at sea, both the ship and the people would have to be lost.

However, there is no shortage of people who dare to take risks at any time. Such huge business opportunities overseas cannot be watched by everyone, not to mention that even the imperial court is now building its own royal fleet. Although the imperial court's fleet is not for business, but only to promote the country's prestige to overseas countries, the imperial court has promulgated maritime trade laws, and private fleets can go out to sea for trade as long as they have documents issued by the government.

The fact is just as Lu Shuyan expected. Soon, many people who saw the profitability of maritime trade rushed to buy ships, form fleets, and prepare to head to the unknown.

The sea is very dangerous. During this process, some people did lose their entire fortunes due to storms. However, this did not stop others from continuing to come, because there were more people who made a fortune.

If the fabrics, embroidery, tea, porcelain and other items from Jokhang were taken overseas, their prices would increase by dozens or even hundreds of times. At the same time, things from overseas were also brought back to Jokhang continuously.

Li Ping, who was originally just a minor official, has proven with his abilities that the emperor was right in choosing him. Now, he has been promoted four levels and has become the director of the Maritime Trade Department, in charge of Minzhou's maritime trade affairs.

It was Li Ping who proposed the idea of ​​the imperial court issuing maritime trade permits. In addition, he also thought of having merchant caravans going out to sea pay insurance premiums to the imperial court. If the fleet that paid the insurance premium encountered damage due to storms, the imperial court would compensate part of the money so that the caravans would not lose everything.

At the same time, after the fleet returned to Dazhao, every item brought back had to pass the inspection of the Maritime Trade Bureau, and a certain amount of tax had to be paid before the goods could enter Dazhao.

Compared with the silver earned, this amount of insurance premium and mercury is not worth mentioning. For this reason, after vigorously encouraging maritime trade, Dazhao's annual tax revenue increased greatly. Now, flat and wide official roads have been built from the capital to every provincial capital and even county town in Dazhao.

Perhaps out of trade considerations, the court's fleet brought back ships, artillery and other items from other countries from overseas. After seeing them, Emperor Zhaoming immediately summoned people from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War. These things were shocking. Although there was an ocean between them, if Dazhao could pass through, others could naturally come over as well. How would they resist such ships and artillery shells then?

He handed what he brought back to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Industry, asking them to study how to deal with such weapons and find ways to create more powerful weapons than these.

To this end, the emperor also began to train a real sea navy. The eldest prince took the initiative to go to Minzhou to train the navy with the local generals. Ye Can also brought her children and moved the Ning Wang Mansion to Minzhou with her husband. Minzhou is just a beginning. In the future, all the prefectures along the coast of Dazhao will have navies stationed.

The Maritime Trade Bureau that he had been thinking about was in full swing and the navy was also under construction. Emperor Zhaoming suddenly wanted to take a break. Without consulting anyone, he simply ordered someone to read out the edict of succession at a court meeting, passing the throne to his daughter.

Da Zhao had never voluntarily abdicated before, but there were many things that had never happened before, and there had never been a female emperor before. Emperor Zhaoming didn't care about it at all.

A month later, the succession ceremony was held, and the former Princess Zhaoyang took over the imperial seal from her father. This was both power and responsibility.

Three months later, she announced that the country's name would be changed to Yongzhao, and from then on Dazhao entered a new era.

The following year, the imperial court promulgated new regulations for the imperial examinations. Starting from the next imperial examination, both men and women could take part. The issue of female officials had been prepared for many years, and there was not much opposition to the promulgation of this regulation. Since women could serve as emperors and officials, they could naturally take the imperial examinations as well. It was only natural.

After abdicating, Emperor Zhaoming completely stopped caring about state affairs and spent all day with a group of children. Sometimes the emperor wanted to discuss something with his father but couldn't find him all day. When he sat on the throne, he realized that being an emperor was not an easy job. The emperor spent several years in the Yushitai, but he was not soft-hearted when people reported him!

"Isn't it just because I took in two male concubines that I was reported by the historians? Father, you had so many concubines in your time, and I was already very diligent in government affairs."

"You are wrong. My father was also implicated in the past. He even wrote a memorial to criticize me. You just don't know about it."

"Father, even if you are the emperor emeritus, you can't just hide away forever!"

"Ah? Father is hard of hearing and can't hear clearly."

In the third year of Yongzhao's reign, Emperor Yongzhao appointed his daughter Princess Jiahua as the Crown Princess.

Except for those close to her, outsiders did not know who Princess Jiahua's father was. Therefore, there were ministers who questioned whether Princess Jiahua, with such an unknown bloodline, was worthy of the position of Crown Princess. However, Emperor Yongzhao also had something to say.

"Who gave birth to the child knows, but the father may not know."

Suddenly, there was a dead silence in the hall, and no one came out to say a word of no.

According to historical records of later generations, Emperor Yongzhao was diligent in governing the country, courageous and good at using officials. The Great Zhao Dynasty reached its peak under his rule, and the following three dynasties prospered without decline. The politics was clear and the people lived in peace, which was repeatedly praised by later historians.

…

"Xie Cheng, stop playing chess with your father. Your father is a terrible chess player. We are going to our grandfather's house for the New Year's Eve dinner. Go change your clothes and go play chess with your grandfather."

"I know, mother."

The little girl put down her book and went back to her own yard obediently to have her maid change her clothes. The little girl, who had just turned ten, had grown into a graceful young lady. Her features were very similar to her mother's, and other aspects of her looked very much like her father. Anyone who had seen Shen Yuan and Xie Hui would say that they could tell at a glance that she was their child.

After his daughter left, Shen Yuan was suddenly hugged by Xie, "Who do you say is the stinky chess piece?"

"Of course I'm talking about you, you stinky chess piece."

Shen Yuan reached out and rubbed her husband's face, and then her hand was grabbed and her mouth was blocked. After more than ten years of marriage, this still happened every day in the Ning'an Earl's Mansion.

This year, the three families are together for the New Year as usual. Ever since they spent the New Year at the Ning'an Earl's Mansion that year, they have started to take turns to come together. This year they are at the Shen family, next year they are at the Xie family, and the year after they are at the He family. After all, the New Year is more enjoyable when there are more people around.

Old Mrs. He was the first to raise her cup. "Another year has passed. Let's drink a cup together to celebrate this day."

"For the safety and well-being of each of us."

"For the sake of peace and prosperity in Dazhao."

【End of extra chapter.】