This naturally presents Ma Sanbao with an opportunity, and it's clearly not just empty talk, as he's about to undertake a remarkable mission. These are tasks that the Embroidered Uniform Guard is clearly unable to handle, and even the navy can only provide escort.
Even in some parts of Southeast Asia, many people could sense the power of the Ming Dynasty, but these were obviously not public knowledge; at most, they were only semi-public, which often left people feeling quite helpless.
But now things are different. The Ming Dynasty is about to embark on a journey to demonstrate its power and prestige, aiming to make the Southeast Asian countries truly realize the strength of the Ming Dynasty.
Clearly, this is not a task that one person can undertake alone, but some people can play a more important role in this remarkable mission.
Ma Sanbao seems to have such an opportunity, perhaps simply because the emperor likes him, or of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that it is because of his abilities that the emperor has higher expectations of him.
Ma Sanbao was a little nervous. Even though he had been entrusted with an important task by His Majesty the Emperor some time ago, it did not mean that he had really become the Emperor's confidant, much less an irreplaceable figure.
He was also very clear about his position. Although he was the "Supervisor" appointed by the emperor at Longjiang Shipyard, seemingly acting as the emperor's representative, many people also knew that Ma Sanbao was nothing special at Longjiang Shipyard.
This is where His Majesty "started his career." Before His Majesty was officially appointed as the Crown Prince, Longjiang Shipyard was one of the first government offices to take over.
Many people know how much effort the current emperor has put into the development of the Longjiang Shipyard. It's not just about finding timber, but more importantly, finding shipwrights. Recruiting craftsmen from all over the country wasn't enough; he also had people collect historical materials from the Song and Yuan dynasties to understand the ships and waterways of that time.
Many people outside say that the academy most valued by the current emperor is the Ministry of Works Academy, which is neither fish nor fowl. It has trained many skilled craftsmen, and some have even obtained official positions or noble titles because of it.
Everyone says the Ministry of Works Academy is the emperor's "favorite son," but that's just an illusion. At best, it's an illegitimate child; the Longjiang Shipyard is the legitimate son. Many of the craftsmen trained by the Ministry of Works Academy are sent back to the Longjiang Shipyard.
For the better development of Longjiang Shipyard, the Five Military Commissions needed to frequently submit their insights and requests regarding the use of seagoing vessels by the navy, and the imperial naval commanders would also often visit Longjiang Shipyard. Of course, the navy also needed to continuously collect hydrographic data, including data from Southeast Asian countries collected by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Whether it was the Imperial Academy, the Imperial Library, the Wenyuan Pavilion, or even the Hanlin Academy, they all needed to periodically organize ancient books, search for shipbuilding techniques, and compile materials. All of this was for the better development of the Longjiang Shipyard, to build larger and more reliable seagoing vessels.
Although Zheng He believed that the Ming Dynasty's ships were already large enough and numerous enough, the emperor was not truly satisfied.
The Fujian-style ships, which were recorded as early as the Song Dynasty, have now been developed to be even larger. They are described as "tall as a building, with a pointed bottom, a wide top, and a raised bow." They also carried firearms from the Ming Dynasty onto the ships, so they could "fire cannons from above."
They also accumulated a lot of experience through constant voyages. For example, "If the enemy ships are small, they can be plundered and sunk when they meet," "and the enemy will find it difficult to attack from above," or "truly a powerful weapon in naval warfare," "only advantageous in the open ocean, otherwise they will be stuck in shallow waters," and "not man-made, but entirely dependent on the wind."
Modern Fujian-style ships are quite large; during the Southern Song Dynasty, they could carry over 10,000 shi (a unit of dry measure). Now, this is no problem at all; large ships can carry thousands of passengers and are fully equipped with living facilities, including washing facilities. Besides elegant cabins for families, they can even raise pigs, grow vegetables and medicinal herbs, brew wine, and cultivate bonsai for ornamental purposes.
Ma Sanbao knew he definitely had a chance, but until everything was settled, he needed to be cautious. Especially since he had been working at the Longjiang Shipyard and had even made a trip to Ryukyu, he knew some things.
His trip to Ryukyu was not as simple as reading out an imperial edict, nor was it something the emperor expected of him.
"You'd better be careful." Looking at Ma Sanbao, whom he had promoted, Wang Chengen advised, "The court has been in chaos these past few days, and His Majesty is not happy. If you don't handle this matter well and lose the imperial edict, don't blame me for not showing any mercy."
Ma Sanbao immediately put on a fawning smile and said, "This servant will naturally listen. Over the years, it is all thanks to the guidance of the Grand Chamberlain that this servant has been able to gain His Majesty's attention."
Wang Chengen revealed a reserved smile. Although he appeared cautious and attentive to the emperor, after finishing his duties and returning to his own palace, he was still attended to by several eunuchs.
In the eyes of the other eunuchs in the palace, Wang Chengen was high and mighty, and many people wanted to curry favor with him. Even some civil and military officials of the court had to give Wang Chengen some respect.
Because Wang Chengen had served the current emperor for nearly twenty years, he enjoyed the emperor's deep trust. Everyone also knew that, if one were to say who understood the current emperor best, it might very well be this middle-aged eunuch.
As for Wang Chengen, he was very fond of his name because it was bestowed upon him by His Majesty the Emperor. Therefore, even his adopted sons changed their surname to Wang. This was not to disregard their ancestors, but rather because since the Emperor had bestowed the name, changing one's name and surname was considered an honor.
Looking at Zheng He, Wang Chengen said, "Your Majesty has the world in your heart. As long as you do the job assigned by Your Majesty well, you will surely be rewarded with wealth and honor."
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