"Your Majesty, we have followed Lord Fang's orders and cooperated with the Embroidered Uniform Guards to bring all the gold and silver into the palace. They should be outside the palace now," Zheng Hui added.
Emperor Jing came back to his senses, looked at the reactions below, and said with a smile: "It is truly a miracle. My dear ministers, please follow me to see what my Great Jing Water Master has gained?"
Naturally, everyone agreed.
Sixteen million taels are right outside, go and take a look!
When everyone got outside the hall, they felt dizzy again.
At this moment, countless wooden boxes are piled up outside the Fengtian Temple Square.
Each large box was half open, and the gold and silver bricks inside sparkled in the sun, extremely eye-catching.
There are also a number of boxes filled with rare treasures rarely seen in Dajing.
Even the well-trained palace guards would occasionally look to their sides.
After all, so many glittering gold, silver and treasures are really tempting.
Emperor Jing sighed, "The fleet really gave me an unexpected surprise. In the future, my great Jing will usher in a great prosperity just by relying on this."
"The officers and men who sailed this time deserve the most credit. I will reward them generously for their hard work and great contributions!"
Zheng Hui said modestly: "Your Majesty, thank you for your praise. This is my duty."
"No, there is. All personnel going out to sea this time will be rewarded handsomely! However, we still need to sort out the details for now. You should first order your sailors to go back to their homes, and someone will convey your order later."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"
......
In the imperial study, Emperor Jing looked at the detailed accounts in his hands with great satisfaction.
He kept exclaiming in admiration, as if he was still immersed in the scene of gold and silver all over the square.
After all, a portion of it will definitely be allocated to the treasury.
This kind of heaven-sent wealth cannot be avoided even by the emperor.
After reviewing the accounts, Emperor Jing asked, "Zhengyi, how do you think we should reward the sailors who are returning this time?"
Fang Zhengyi thought for a moment and said, "I think that since there are more than 16.5 million taels, we should give the rest as a reward to the sailors."
"More than 500,000 taels...isn't that a bit too much?"
"I said six and a half million taels."
"......"
Emperor Jing was silent. He never expected Fang Zheng to speak so loudly.
I really don’t feel bad about spending my own money!
"What do you think?"
Fang Zheng said, "Your Majesty, the first group of sailors who explored the West were all pioneers of history. In other words, these warriors had already accepted their fate of being in danger of death before they set out."
"Based on this alone and the great achievements today, the court has the responsibility to ensure that they and their entire families have enough food and clothing for the rest of their lives. There are also many soldiers who died in battle, and their families also need money to comfort their spirits, so this money must not be saved."
"Besides, this is also a good example for others to go out to sea. Trade with the West seems to be very profitable, but the court can't take all the profits. It's better to give this part to the people and encourage them to go west. The court can sell the ships and make a profit."
Emperor Jing nodded slightly: "That makes sense, but I still think six and a half million taels is too much. I have never heard of such a reward since the founding of the Great Jing Kingdom."
No matter what we say about the country since its founding, it has always been stingy and reluctant to spend money.
In his heart, Fang Zhengyi secretly despised his father-in-law for being stingy, and said, "Your Majesty, this is just the beginning. We will make a lot of money later. Don't worry about this little money."
"A lot of money?" Emperor Jing thought about it and laughed, "That's right, it is indeed a lot of money. You are right, but the Ministry of Revenue will definitely be dissatisfied."
"I think Your Majesty should give an order directly to the Ministry of Revenue. This money cannot be saved. Otherwise, it will chill the people's hearts."
"Hmm..." Emperor Jing thought and suddenly said, "Let's not talk about this for now. I have something else to ask you. Zheng Hui said before that they had offended the Taifu Sect in the West. You have always been concerned about these things. What do you think about this?"
Fang Zheng thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, this is not a difficult task. Although we don't know exactly how powerful the Taifu Sect is, its essence is not much different from other sects. The believers at the bottom are pure and fervent, while the upper class are corrupt and greedy."
"It's like the rebellious monks of the past. They roll their eyes when you pinch their necks, and start boasting when you let go."
Emperor Jing laughed dumbly: "You are too dismissive. I have never heard of any sect that can control several countries. There must be something extraordinary among them."
Fang Zhengyi chuckled: "That's right, I just despise the enemy strategically, but it does not mean that there is no solution."
"Zheng Hui brought back a group of Taifu missionaries. I think many things can continue to operate through them. If we do well, we may be able to convert these missionaries into our people. At least if we are in the right when something happens, they will be on our side."
Emperor Jing raised his eyebrows and said, "They also brought back a group of missionaries? Well, since you have a solution, you can handle it."
"Your Majesty, I have a favor to ask of you," Fang Zheng said.
"Go ahead."
"The envoys from the twenty-three countries are now gathered at the Honglu Temple. These people do not speak the language and need special training and hospitality. I think the old methods and tribute system are no longer suitable for these people. Why not leave them to me to handle?"
"Then how are you going to deal with it?" Emperor Jing asked curiously.
Fang Zheng said, "I just want to take them to see the rich products of Dajing and show them around. It would be best if I could attract them to come to Dajing to trade. After all, if we let them come on their own, we can save more money. Why should we do everything ourselves? In addition, I also want to make some preparations for Dongjiao University to recruit talents in the future."
"Dongjiao University, is it necessary to recruit so many foreigners?" Emperor Jing frowned slightly, "You should know that Dongjiao University has made many important inventions. If someone steals them..."
"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will keep the technical stuff strictly confidential." Fang Zhengyi explained, "I have no choice but to do this. Dongjiao University teaches science. One genius is worth more than ten thousand mediocre people. For example, inventions like penicillin were all led by one or two people. Because of our profound heritage, few truly smart people are willing to come to Dongjiao University. But if we recruit foreign students, they must have gone through a round of screening in their own country. Only the best can come to our Dajing. In the future, they can also be absorbed by our Dajing after they have learned something. This is killing two birds with one stone."
What Fang Zhengyi said made sense, but he was a foreigner after all.
Emperor Jing was a little hesitant, not knowing whether it was good or bad.
Fang Zhengyi said, "Your Majesty, it's too early for us to talk about these things. Why don't you let me give it a try? If there are foreign students admitted to Dongjiao University in the future, the initiative is still in our hands. First, we can control the number, and second, we can transfer them at will. This is not a big deal."
Emperor Jing took a long breath and made up his mind: "Well, no one in the court knows more about Western affairs than you, so you can decide for yourself."
......
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