"Your Majesty, I have been active in the coastal waters for some time. As far as I know, overseas products are abundant, with mountains of gold and silver, which can make up for the shortcomings of our Great Scenery."
"But now, fishermen and merchants in the coastal waters of Dajing want to go out to sea. The procedures are so complicated that it is unimaginable. This is tantamount to blocking a way of life."
"It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a maritime ban, so I would like to ask Your Majesty to open the sea and allow the coastal prefectures and counties to allow the people to travel without worries."
"Secondly, I have seen the ships that the rebels were riding on. The shipbuilding technology was so exquisite and the hulls were so huge that they were incomparable to the imperial warships. If we open up sea transportation, we can also develop the shipping industry. Otherwise, it will be impossible to bring the rebels to justice!"
Fang Zhengyi's attitude was extremely sincere.
Persuading the imperial court to open the sea is the most important thing at the moment!
However, he was not very sure at the moment, so he proposed it first to test the attitude of the court officials, and then he could make detailed arrangements for the next step and strive for success in one go!
As expected, as soon as he finished speaking, someone jumped out and said, "Master Fang, you are joking!"
Fang Zheng glanced to the side and saw that the person who spoke was the Minister of War Feng Jie.
Although most of the civil officials disliked him, the people in the Ministry of War were different. They stood on the same side as Emperor Jing and remained stable.
Even when being pointed at by everyone, very few people would jump out.
Fang Zhengyi was somewhat surprised that Feng Jie took the initiative to step forward this time.
"What advice do you have, Lord Feng?"
Feng Jie said: "Just now you said that my Dajing warships are not as good as the ships used by the rebels. I cannot agree with this!"
"He is just one person, how can he compare to the accumulated strength of the whole country over the years. A ship is not only good in size, Lord Fang, don't be scared by the size!"
"We can build a ship as big as you want, but the most important thing at sea is its ability to withstand the wind and waves!"
"The Ministry of War has already sent people to hunt down the rebels. I think they will return safely in no time!"
Fang Zheng was silent.
What Feng Jie said made sense, but based on his understanding of King Wu, it might not be that simple.
A technical man will not just pursue simple size, but should pay more attention to other parameters such as structure.
Without waiting for Fang Zheng to speak, Feng Jie continued, "Lord Fang mentioned opening the sea, I think you don't know much about it."
"When the previous emperor was alive, he strongly advocated a ban on the sea! First, the sea merchants were greedy and evaded taxes, and our great resources flowed out. In the long run, people were in panic and the people were in turmoil."
"Secondly, pirates are rampant, and the poor and weak people even take the initiative to join them. The court often has to spend a lot of money and resources to eliminate the pirates."
"Third, shipbuilding is expensive, and maintenance is even more expensive...So now that the court has given the people a chance to go to sea, it is already a special favor."
"I second the motion!" Li Yansong stood up, looked at Fang Zhengyi and added, "Master Fang, you think this matter is too simple."
"Dajing is the suzerain state, and many small countries in Southeast Asia pay tribute every year. The sea ban is not only for the reasons Lord Feng mentioned, but more for the sake of protecting the interests of the tributary states."
"And our Dajing does not make much profit from maritime trade. This fact is not feasible."
After Li Yansong finished speaking, a chorus of seconding voices rang out.
Almost everyone opposed Fang Zhengyi without any surprise.
At this moment, Fang Zhengyi once again stood against all the officials.
Fang Zhengyi kept thinking amid the opposition. The determination of the ministers' opposition was beyond his expectations.
Things may be a little difficult, but they are not unsolvable. You have many strong cards in your hand that you can play!
Emperor Jing just looked at him quietly without saying anything.
When the discussion stopped, Fang Zhengyi calmly said, "Your Majesty, although I don't know how to build a ship, the King of Wu's ship is definitely not as simple as Lord Feng said."
"Moreover, our Dajing maritime trade is now mainly based on trade with tributary states. If we frequently return gifts, we will definitely make little profit, or even suffer losses!"
"There must be profit to be made at sea, otherwise why would the people be willing to become pirates regardless of their lives, as Lord Feng said?"
"The people are not stupid, they know where to go to make money. I think there are too many problems at present due to too many restrictions. If the people are allowed to participate and the court manages it, there will be great gains!"
As soon as he finished speaking, someone immediately refuted: "Everything is just Lord Fang's conjecture, but it is certain that the sea merchants will be allowed to invade the interests of the tributary states. How can I, as the suzerain, convince the people at that time?"
Fang Zheng rolled his eyes and said, "Who cares? The interests of the people of Dajing come first! What about a tributary state? We didn't steal it. We should do business fairly. If you have the ability, you can eat. If you don't have the ability, you can eat shit!"
"Master Fang, be careful what you say. This is a court meeting!"
"I'm a straightforward person, so I speak like this!"
“.......”
Seeing Fang Zhengyi quarreling with someone again and about to swear, Emperor Jing held his forehead and knocked on the imperial desk: "Quiet, quiet!"
"Fang Qing, you have not considered this matter carefully. Maritime trade relations are complicated and cannot be handled lightly. And the fourth brother has gone out to sea. I have already sent a fleet to pursue him. I think he will be back in a few months."
"Could it be that our Dajing's warships are inferior to the merchant ships he built privately?"
Seeing that the emperor had made the decision, the eyes of all the ministers instantly focused on Fang Zhengyi.
His Majesty has said so, and you still want to be stubborn?
"Your Majesty is wise, but I would like to reserve my opinion..." Fang Zheng said.
Um?
There was a hint of curiosity in Emperor Jing's eyes.
It turns out that this kid always goes along with what he says, so why is he acting out of character when it comes to opening the sea? It's a bit strange!
But since the matter has been turned over, Emperor Jing did not dwell on it any more, and the court meeting returned to the normal track and continued...
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