Chapter 2764 My Concubine is Getting Better
Nan Yan looked at him and whispered, "Is it about the Japanese pirates?"
Zhu Feng asked, "You know that too?"
Nan Yan said, "It's spread all over the palace. How come something like this suddenly appeared? What's going on with the Japanese pirates?"
Zhu Feng couldn't help but smile, but his smile was tinged with bitterness. He said, "The Wokou are pirates from Japan—that is, from the Wa Kingdom. These people come from the sea and specialize in looting coastal cities, causing great trouble to the imperial court."
"Why haven't I heard of it before?"
"After Emperor Gao established the country, he even closed the road to the northwest, and naturally the sea route was also closed. So, although Waguo—that is, Japan—wanted to make friends with our Yan Kingdom, they never had the opportunity."
"What now?"
"Now... although I am still managing the Western Regions, that is the northwest route. There is another route in the southeast, which is to open trade routes along the coast. This way, we can exchange what we have with the countries on the sea, and also promote the prestige and culture of our Great Yan Dynasty."
Nan Yan said angrily, "They wanted to be friendly with us, so why did the emperor open the sea gate and these people come here to rob us?"
“…”
"If they piss us off, we'll chop them all off!"
Zhu Feng sighed and said with a smile, "My noble concubine, why is there such a murderous aura?"
Nan Yan said: "I have never been soft-hearted towards bandits!"
Zhu Feng smiled.
Then he added: "This time, we can't resist it head-on."
Nan Yan frowned: "What do you mean?"
Zhu Feng sighed deeply, then said, "Emperor Gao closed the southeastern coast, completely cutting off all maritime traffic. Therefore, there are almost no decent naval forces along the southeastern coast."
“……!”
Nan Yan opened her eyes wide.
Zhu Feng continued, "And I... as you know, I've always conquered the world on horseback, never on a ship. My officials are the same way, so for now, we haven't come up with a solution to deal with the Japanese pirates."
"Then, even if we don't attack them, we can't defend ourselves against them?"
Zhu Feng asked, "The southeast coast has thousands of miles of coastline...how can we defend it?"
“…”
"In the north, facing the Kingdom of Dan, at least we have the Great Wall and our fortifications. But along the southeast coast, there are so many towns and small fishing villages. These are all mutton placed in front of them for free. Why don't we just let them tear them apart?"
When Nan Yan heard this, her brows furrowed.
I don’t know if it’s because she has been a royal concubine for so many years that she can no longer tolerate such grievances and frustrations, especially when it comes to national defense matters. When she heard that her subjects could only be beaten, she felt furious.
I wish I could pick up a sword and fight those Japanese pirates to the death.
Of course, this is just a momentary anger and is impossible.
and--
She turned to look at Zhu Feng again. Although Zhu Feng's expression was not as furious as when he questioned the ministers in the imperial study last night, Nan Yan could still clearly see the hidden anger in his eyes.
He is not someone who allows others to tear him apart.
He couldn't bear it, and neither could his subjects.
So he said softly: "Then, the emperor must find a way, right?"
Zhu Feng was silent for a while before he slowly turned to look at her and said with a half-smile, "If I don't find a solution when something happens, then what's the point of me being the emperor?"
"Then what solution did the Emperor come up with?"
“…”
Zhu Feng was silent for a while and said, "I haven't figured it out yet."
“…”
"The cabinet, including all the military commanders, has no precedent for dealing with Japan or interacting with them."
“…”
"So, after we go to the Li Mansion today and drink two glasses of wedding wine, we have to leave. I have to go back and continue to let them find a solution for me."
Nan Yan nodded gently and said, "I understand."
So, the two of them sat back, and as the carriage slowly swayed, they were also swaying.
As my body swayed, it felt like I was on the sea, being hit by wave after wave. Something seemed to vaguely emerge in my mind, and then be swallowed by the sea water.
Nan Yan thought for a moment, then turned to look at Zhu Feng and said softly, "But, does the emperor feel that something is wrong?"
"Um?"
Zhu Feng stayed up all night, and after rocking for a while, he felt sleepy again.
He was half asleep when he heard her voice. He immediately perked himself up, trying not to fall into drowsiness. He opened his eyes and asked, "What's wrong?"
Nan Yan said, "The Emperor said that the country of Japan actually wanted to have relations with us."
"Um."
"Since you want to communicate, the emperor opened the sea gate, so why are the Japanese pirates here instead of envoys?"
“…”
"Even if, even if they are just like the Neng Kingdom, short of supplies and in need of our Great Yan Dynasty's goods, why do they have to resort to robbery instead of just sending envoys to trade? Are they really that cheap?"
“…”
"I don't believe they haven't thought about it. With the mighty power of the Great Yan Dynasty, we are really afraid of these little bandits."
“…”
"If a fight really breaks out, I'm not afraid of not being able to defeat them!"
Zhu Feng almost laughed at her words.
But when I thought about it again, my heart skipped a beat.
Indeed, opening the ports allows for trade, but why did the envoys and merchants who had always hoped to have exchanges with Yan State not come, but the Japanese pirates came instead?
Nan Yan said softly, "I think there's something wrong with this matter itself."
Zhu Feng pondered for a while and said softly, "You are right."
“…”
"Indeed, although we must be on guard and even fight, we must first clarify this matter."
Nan Yan asked, "How does the emperor plan to find out?"
Zhu Feng thought for a moment and said, "The closest place to Japan is Shandong. It seems I have to have the Shandong Governor send someone there to first find out their strengths and weaknesses, and then figure out how to deal with them."
As he spoke, he glanced down at Nan Yan and said with a smile, "It was you who reminded me."
“…”
"Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle. You really have to first understand what the enemy is like."
“…”
"My concubine is getting better and better."
Nan Yan laughed immediately.
On the other side, the gate of the Xie family was already crowded with people, and the people who came to watch the ceremony had squeezed the gate so tightly that no one could get in.
The matchmaker carried the bride, covered with a veil, out of Xie's house and into the bridal sedan. The crackling sounds of firecrackers and the voices of congratulations from the crowd merged into one. With a shout from the matchmaker, the sedan bearers lifted the sedan, and drums and music sounded in front and behind as they carried the bride away.
Halfway through the journey, Xie Jiaojiao suddenly reached out and lifted the curtain on Jiaozi's side.
The matchmaker who was walking beside Jiaozi saw this and said hurriedly, "Oh my bride, what are you doing? Be careful not to be seen!"
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