Zhu Yunying was an ambitious and aspiring emperor. Although he was now taking action against the Southeast Asian countries, it seemed that there would be little benefit in the short term. It might require the court to invest a lot of resources without much return.
But for Zhu Yunying, he saw not only the next ten or twenty years, but also a hundred or a thousand years.
This is when you need to show some courage, and this is when you need to lay the groundwork beforehand. Since he has the opportunity to do these things himself, there's no need to let future generations worry about them. Zhu Yunying believes that those who are capable should do more.
Zhu Yunying then continued, "Over the years, I have also thought about this carefully. Although the Ming Dynasty's fleet travels back and forth to the South Seas and eastward to Japan, I originally thought that the Ming Dynasty was the center of the world. But now, looking at it again, there is an even larger territory outside."
As a former liberal arts student, I still need to study geography. I'm not only familiar with domestic maps, but also have a decent understanding of world maps.
Zhu Yunying has only drawn a rough world map, and setting aside its accuracy, simply presenting a map doesn't necessarily convey much credibility. After all, the people of the Ming Dynasty are largely unfamiliar with the outside world, as are the officials.
Moreover, Zhu Yunying wasn't narcissistic. If he produced a map, countless people would follow it without question and rush to implement it. Even if it was just one possible approach, they would only think they had done a bad job, not that the emperor had made a mistake.
The idea of loyalty to the emperor and the reverence for imperial power can sometimes restrict the thinking of some people, and it is not appropriate to bring some things out now.
We still need to explore and find some convincing facts, which is the situation that Zhu Yunying hopes to see.
"I am preparing to build new ships. The Ming Dynasty cannot be complacent. We have had some dealings with the surrounding vassal states before, but that is not enough. I think the Ming Dynasty should send a powerful navy to subdue the other countries and demonstrate its national power. Furthermore, the Ming Dynasty is now excellent in textiles, ceramics, and ironware. We can make a lot of money from maritime trade and also bring back spices from the Southeast Asian countries."
Hearing Zhu Yunying say this, everyone naturally had even fewer objections. Since the Maritime Trade Office was already doing just that, many people had seen the benefits and wanted to get a share of the profits, so such a thing was certainly acceptable.
The emperor is simply expanding the scale of maritime trade and wants the fleet to travel further, so no one thinks there's anything wrong with it; it's a perfectly logical thing to do.
Many people even feel that this is not enough. The maritime trade during the Song Dynasty was outstanding. The things that the Ming Dynasty is doing now are basically at the level of the Song Dynasty, and it has not yet surpassed them. This is obviously not enough. The Ming Dynasty should be more outstanding and powerful.
Zhu Yunying was quite pleased with himself and continued, "As you all know, I took over a post from my grandfather in my early years, which included managing the Maritime Trade Office, controlling the Longjiang Shipyard, and controlling a significant portion of the Ming Dynasty's navy."
Old Zhu was even more smug at this moment, pointing at Xu Huizu and the others, saying, "You guys do have some ability. Mu Chun also followed your father into battle at a young age. You must have been a teenager back then, right? The emperor was not even ten years old when he took charge of the shipyard and most of the Ming Dynasty's navy!"
That's a bit of an exaggeration. Zhu Yunying did indeed have a lot of power at that time, but Zhu Yunying was younger and his power and achievements were exaggerated.
As for Old Zhu's thoughts, they were naturally simple: to prove that Zhu Yunying was a genius who had made great achievements at a young age.
Zhu Yunying then continued, “Our Ming Dynasty’s navy is already powerful. In recent years, we have unearthed many ship maps from the Song Dynasty. Everyone knows about Fujian ships, sand ships, and Guangdong ships. Nowadays, our Ming Dynasty’s ships are even more exquisite and powerful. You probably don’t know that our Ming Dynasty’s ships raise pigs, grow vegetables, and grow medicinal herbs on board.”
Zhu Yunying had reason to be proud. Records show that there were ships with a capacity of 10,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) during the Song Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty could now do the same, or even go further. This is due to continuous technological progress.
While the Ming Dynasty couldn't yet build ships exceeding 100 meters in length, their scale was already quite impressive. A rudder ten meters long was relatively easy for the Ming Dynasty, and a ship of that size could be considered a world leader in this era.
Zhu Yunying could proudly and confidently begin preparations for the voyages to the Western Ocean, given the vast size of the Ming Dynasty's fleet. Moreover, whether it was previous trade in Southeast Asia or development in Japan, the Ming Dynasty possessed a sufficiently experienced navy and sailors.
Those skilled shipwrights and captains could make it relatively easy for the Ming Dynasty to assemble a powerful fleet. They could not only carry goods and merchants, but also a considerable number of soldiers. Those who refused to submit to the Ming's rule could, of course, be taught a lesson before further discussion.
Now that the foundation is quite solid, it's natural to consider doing some bigger things now, and things have finally come to fruition.
Zhu Yunying looked at everyone and continued, "I think everyone is aware of my previous intention to open up more granaries."
Everyone is quite aware of this matter. The development of Jingxiang is traceable. For example, the Ming Dynasty is currently adjusting its garrison system, and military households are being transferred to Jingxiang for farming. Jingxiang is also the main destination for relocation of people. This is no secret.
Zhu Yunying continued, "I also want to develop the Northwest. It is a good horse pasture and can weaken those Tartars. The Southwest is also very good, but there is a lot of miasma and jungle there, and the barbarians are not easy to subdue."
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