Chapter 306 Donation of Silver
The third urgent report came from Jinghaiwei, the easternmost important coastal town.
Zheng Canglan, commander of the Jinghai Guard, urgently reported:
At 11:00 PM on February 25th, the Japanese pirate leader Shimazu Yoshihiro, in collusion with the East China Sea pirate Zhang Kui, known as the "Sea Dragon," gathered more than 200 large and small ships and over 10,000 bandits, and took advantage of the cover of night and high tide to raid three of our coastal garrisons and salt fields!
The enemy ships are as fast as ghosts, well-equipped with muskets and Portuguese cannons, and have fierce firepower!
The garrison responded hastily, many parts were burned down, and the defenders suffered heavy casualties!
Zheng Canglan mentioned that there might be traitors inside Jinghaiwei.
The enemy knew everything about Jinghaiwei’s deployment, shift changes, and stockpiling of supplies!
He found secret letters of communication with the enemy in the wreckage, directly pointing to several local officials and salt merchants along the coast.
These people secretly aided the enemy and leaked military secrets!
The saltworks were destroyed, their reserves looted, and coastal fishing villages were brutally massacred, with no one, young or old, spared.
The Japanese pirates occupied the offshore islands and were so arrogant that they even hoisted a flag and declared, "Within three months, our horses will drink from the Yangtze River!"
Currently, trade along the Jinghaiwei coast is almost cut off, and merchant ships dare not sail out to sea.
Although Zheng Canglan has organized the navy to fight back vigorously, sinking dozens of enemy ships and killing thousands of bandits, the enemy gathers and disperses erratically, their whereabouts are secretive, and there are spies who secretly pass on information, making it difficult to eradicate!
Moreover, the warships of the Jinghaiwei Navy are old and insufficient in number, and the range and power of their firearms are inferior to those of the enemy!
Zheng Canglan pleaded with the court to quickly dispatch elite naval reinforcements! He also requested that special funds be allocated to quickly construct new warships and purchase sophisticated muskets and artillery!
If the coastal areas are not at peace, the country's gates will be wide open and the fertile lands south of the Yangtze River will be in danger.
The generals in the hall all had ashen faces and their hair stood on end with rage.
Luo Yunzhen was the first to denounce it.
"The Japanese pirates are a scabby disease! They dare to bark 'Drinking Horses from the Yangtze River', courting their own destruction! Your Majesty, the most urgent task is to wipe out the pirates with thunderous force, and at the same time, thoroughly investigate all collaborators and traitors. No matter who they are, they must be eradicated and serve as a warning to others!"
"Second, we will reorganize our navy! At Zheng Canglan's request, we will allocate a large sum of money to rapidly build strong ships and purchase powerful artillery."
The Minister of Works stepped forward and echoed, "I suggest that we immediately activate the two major shipyards in Quanzhou and Guangzhou, and work day and night. At the same time, we should requisition suitable large ships from the civilian population and modify them. This is a two-pronged approach. As for the traitor..."
Luo Yunzhen continued, "As for the traitor, I implore Your Majesty to authorize a joint investigation by the Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, and the Imperial Guards. We must conduct a thorough investigation of the coastal administration and salt administration. We would rather kill the wrong person than let a single corrupt official go!"
Luo Yunzhen spoke in a powerful voice, but beads of sweat were already oozing out of the forehead of Minister of Revenue Wen Tingkuan.
He took a deep breath, took a step forward, and then stated the most realistic dilemma:
"Your Majesty, deploying troops in three areas will be extremely costly. The north requires cavalry, heavy equipment, and fodder; the southwest requires elite troops, epidemic prevention medicines, and mountain supplies; and the Kanto region requires warships, firearms, pensions, and funds to rebuild the saltworks..."
"Although the national treasury has been somewhat replenished after years of recuperation, it is still insufficient to support three major wars simultaneously! Especially warships and firearms, they are all gold-eating monsters..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the Golden Palace instantly became quiet.
After a while, the Minister of War Su Zhanyue spoke.
"What Minister Wen said is true. However, the military situation is extremely urgent."
"I believe that the most urgent task is to prioritize. The northern Di Rong, with 500,000 cavalrymen, are attacking the border, a threat that could shake the foundations of our nation."
"If Shuofeng Pass is breached and the entire northern border is lost, the nation will be in danger! This is our top priority. We must mobilize the entire nation and prioritize support. We cannot afford to lose anything."
"The epidemic in the southwest and the threat from Nanzhao are intertwined. If the plague gets out of control, the thousand-mile border will collapse without a fight. The harm is no less than war! It should not be underestimated!"
"Although the threat to the Guandong region poses a threat to the Jiangnan region's financial resources, the Japanese pirates are primarily focused on plundering and lack the strength to launch large-scale landings and sieges. Furthermore, we still have the Zheng Canglan Navy to support us. For the time being, we can adopt the strategy of 'holding firm and awaiting reinforcements.'"
"My humble opinion: The north should be the first priority, followed by the southwest. Guandong should hold its ground and wait for reinforcements. Once the north and west have eased a bit, we can then make an all-out effort to wipe out the enemy!"
Grand Tutor Xu Zhengwen also had a serious expression at this moment.
He slowly stroked his silver beard and said in a deep voice:
"I second Minister Su's proposal. However, war is a matter of great importance to a nation, a matter of life and death, a matter of survival and destruction. We must pay close attention to it."
"The north needs strong and quick reinforcements. Prince Wu is the bravest of the three armies and is familiar with the geography and enemy situation in the northern border. He is indeed the best choice."
"However, the Beijing Garrison is the foundation of the capital's defense. Selecting 200,000 elite soldiers from the Cavalry Battalion to march north will immediately leave the capital's defense vulnerable. We must also prepare for this."
"Could you order the neighboring prefectures, such as Bingzhou and Jianzhou, to dispatch elite border troops to the northern frontier as quickly as possible to supplement the shortage of troops in the capital?"
"The southwest is a land of high mountains and dense forests, plagued by malaria, and requires soldiers who are both brave and patient to fight."
"I've heard there are several garrison troops in Lingnan Road, who train and garrison in hot, humid and malaria-ridden areas year-round. They might be of use."
"For epidemic prevention, in addition to deploying all the elite medical personnel from the Imperial Medical Bureau, we can also recruit talented doctors from around the world, offer rewards for folk epidemic prevention prescriptions, and pool their wisdom. As for Kanto..."
Xu Zhengwen paused, his eyes sharpening.
"Traitors collude with the enemy, providing grain and supplies to the invaders, and undermining the foundation of the nation. We must thoroughly investigate and thoroughly investigate! The development of the navy is crucial to the long-term peace of the coastal borders and cannot be delayed. No matter how difficult the Ministry of Revenue is, this special fund must be prioritized and must not be skimped on. Furthermore, the salt administration is the cornerstone of the national economy and people's livelihood. The destroyed salt fields must be rebuilt immediately, and the salt merchants involved must be thoroughly identified and eliminated. Wealthy merchants along the coast who are not implicated can be asked to donate money and grain to alleviate the immediate crisis, and salt permits and other benefits can be granted as appropriate."
The Minister of Personnel Yue Pengfei also came out.
He said solemnly, "Master Taifu is experienced and thoughtful in planning state affairs. I second your proposal."
Several cabinet ministers also expressed their opinions, all of which centered around the strategic focus ranking proposed by Su Zhanyue and the Grand Tutor, and added suggestions on details such as how to coordinate military support from neighboring prefectures, how to ensure the smooth flow of long logistical transportation lines, how to comfort the injured border residents, and how to prevent rumors from spreading and shaking the foundation of the country.
Yan Shixu had been listening silently, his slender fingers tapping on the cold and hard armrests of the dragon throne, making a low and regular "thump, thump" sound, as if measuring the fate of the Great Yan Dynasty.
His eyes slowly swept over each important official who spoke, taking in their words, expressions, the worry in their eyes, and even the slightest hesitation.
At this moment, every red comment on the imperial desk is related to the safety of the vast land and involves the life and death of millions of soldiers and common people.
Finally, his eyes fell on Su Muyang who was a little behind him.
Su Muyang looked at him for a moment, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and he understood what he meant.
He took a deep breath, stepped out of the line, and spoke in a clear but decisive voice.
"Your Majesty! We are facing a formidable enemy, and three fronts are in crisis. The national treasury is insufficient to meet the urgent needs! I, Su Muyang, am willing to donate my family fortune—one million taels of silver—to the national treasury immediately to supplement military supplies and alleviate the country's difficulties!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the huge Golden Throne Hall fell into an eerie silence, as if even the air had frozen.
Immediately afterwards, there was a sound of all civil and military officials gasping in shock.
Countless eyes focused on Su Muyang, with complex and indescribable feelings——
There was shock and admiration, but more of it was a sense of helplessness and heartache that "it happens again."
Many ministers subconsciously lowered their heads and shrank their necks, wishing they could shrink into their court robes to reduce their presence.
Here it comes again… Here it comes again!
When Your Majesty was still the Crown Prince...
Whenever the imperial court is in urgent need of money, His Majesty will definitely play a double act with this brat from the Su family!
The Su family is rich enough to rival a country. His mother, Qi Yao, is the only daughter of Qi Fuyu, the first royal merchant of Dayan, and controls nearly half of Dayan's economic lifeline.
Not to mention one million taels...even if it's ten million taels...
They believed that the Su family could also afford it.
But once the Su family donated this huge sum of money, how could these ordinary officials and noble families dare to be stingy?
Furthermore, the Su family donated a massive sum of money. If they donated too little, how could they save face? This was a blatant "donation-loss competition"!
Grand Tutor Xu Zhengwen curled his lips slightly and stepped out first.
"Your Majesty, the nation is in crisis. I, an old minister, would like to donate two hundred thousand taels as a token of my gratitude."
With him taking the lead, the hall was like a flood that had been opened. Whether the civil and military officials were willing or not, they all stepped out to report their numbers.
"I am willing to donate 100,000 taels of silver!"
"I am also willing to donate one hundred thousand taels!"
"I will donate 80,000 taels!"
"I donate..."
The Minister of Revenue Wen Tingkuan no longer cared about his etiquette. He snatched the paper and pen from the Hanlin Academy scholar who was responsible for recording the court meeting, rolled up his sleeves, and wrote furiously.
He wrote down this heavy "List of Silver Donations to the Country" and the amount of money he had donated.
…
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