Chapter 775
Lifting the Sea Ban
Chapter 775 Lifting the Sea Ban
After pondering it for a moment, everyone couldn't help but admire the designer's ingenuity: "In this way, the losses during the transport of silver will be reduced."
The Imperial Guard then said, "This was designed by Pan Yun."
Upon seeing the large characters "君恩" (Jun En, meaning imperial favor) engraved on the front of the silver brick, Wang Zhen couldn't help but admire Pan Yun.
Sigh, how did she become Pan Hong's daughter?
You should be friends with someone like that.
He had no desire to become her enemy.
When the emperor saw the words "Imperial Grace," he couldn't help but smile.
Wang Zhen immediately bowed and flattered the emperor: "Your Majesty's grace extends to all corners of the land, and even foreign lands are grateful for Your Majesty's kindness."
Chen Xun noticed that there were words engraved on the side of the silver brick: "There seem to be words on the side as well."
The emperor turned to look and saw the words "People's Livelihood" engraved on the side.
Chen Xun immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty's grace and the well-being of the people are truly a gift from Heaven to Your Majesty. Heaven also wants Your Majesty to look overseas and make our Great Ming Dynasty subdue the world. Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
The ministers all knelt down to congratulate the emperor, showering him with compliments that cost nothing.
The young and impetuous emperor laughed heartily at the praise, and with a generous wave of his hand, immediately ordered: "As the ministers have suggested, the sea ban shall be lifted, and the Imperial Household Department and the Ministry of Works shall be ordered to jointly mine silver."
The ministers unanimously agreed, and the dispute over the areas where the maritime ban would be lifted and the allocation of silver was resolved. Both sides compromised, and the emperor agreed to lift the maritime ban in six places, including Guangzhou and Quanzhou, and to establish the Maritime Trade Office.
As for other coastal areas, they will not be opened for the time being due to concerns about defense security.
Meanwhile, Pan Hong, who had been imprisoned for disrespecting the emperor by shouting in the main hall, was released, reinstated, and then sent to receive the Ryukyu delegation.
The emperor had made up his mind; Pan Hong was indeed stubborn and inflexible, even more detestable than Pan Yun, so he didn't want to see him.
"After we finish entertaining the Ryukyu delegation, let's find a place to send him away. I get a headache just looking at him now."
Wang Zhen smiled and agreed, and then suggested several places: "Jiangnan is prosperous, but due to wind and flood disasters and the rebellion of bandits in Fujian, several places are short of people. What does Your Majesty think about choosing a place for him in Jiangnan?"
The emperor frowned: "He's from Changzhou Prefecture, how can he return to Jiangnan?"
"Avoiding Changzhou Prefecture would be fine, or the Zhejiang-Fujian area would also work. It just so happens that the sea ban has been lifted, and Pan Yun has made great contributions. He has been living in the Zhejiang-Fujian area recently. Why not send Lord Pan to Zhejiang-Fujian so that he and his daughter can be reunited?"
The emperor thought of his father and his heart softened: "Wasn't Pan Yun about the same age as me when I lost my father?"
Wang Zhen: ...He wanted to send Pan Hong to Jiangnan, but he didn't want the emperor to pity the Pan family father and daughter!
The emperor, however, was already lost in his own emotional fantasies, thinking about the hardships he had faced since ascending the throne. He thought that if his father were still alive, none of the officials would dare to treat him so carelessly and fobbed him off...
His heart softened, and he nodded, saying, "Doesn't Pan Yun often travel between Quanzhou and Fuzhou? After the spring, select a prefect for Pan Hong from the vicinity of these two places."
Wang Zhen: "...Your Majesty, Pan Hong is currently only the Right Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, and his appointment as a prefect is too rapid."
"Is it fast?" The emperor waved his hand and said, "Pan Yun has rendered meritorious service. I do not wish to see her. I can only reward her father and brothers."
Wang Zhen twitched the corner of his mouth and said, "But Pan Hong has never served as a local official before. His sudden appointment as prefect is probably not good for civil administration."
The emperor, however, felt that these were not problems: "Pan Hong is an upright man. As a prefect, he will not make any mistakes if he follows the regulations."
The emperor has already made his decision.
Wang Zhen would never openly defy the emperor. He would only raise his objections once, and if the emperor insisted, he would immediately comply.
Behind the scenes, he had other ways to achieve his goals.
For example, there are no vacancies for prefects near Quanzhou and Fuzhou. Whenever a vacancy arises, he immediately arranges for someone to fill it, and when a position like prefect becomes available, the emperor himself will settle for a less desirable one.
The matter of the transfer was, after all, just a private conversation between the emperor and his ministers. Without the emperor's order, he naturally wouldn't leak the news. So the vacancies for prefects in various places were quickly filled. This was a decision made by the Ministry of Personnel and the Cabinet. What did it have to do with him?
Wang Zhen's lips curled slightly. Seeing that the room was getting dark, he ordered the lamps to be lit, and then gently advised, "Your Majesty, it is the Earl of Huichang's birthday today. He just kowtowed to the Empress Dowager to pay his respects and left the palace..."
Upon hearing this, the emperor immediately stood up and said, "I will also go see the Empress Dowager. Have the Imperial Kitchen prepare some longevity peaches and send them to the Marquis of Huichang's residence."
Wang Zhen smiled and replied, "Knowing that His Majesty would reward the Earl of Huichang, I had the kitchen prepare it in advance, and I will send someone to deliver it now."
The Empress Dowager looked worried.
The emperor, who was always filial, asked upon seeing this, "Is your uncle in trouble?"
The Empress Dowager looked around.
The emperor dismissed everyone except Wang Zhen, who remained by his side.
The Empress Dowager then sighed and said, "I heard that someone has impeached the Huichang Earl's Mansion for smuggling and protecting pirates?"
The Emperor said calmly, "It's just hearsay from the censors, and some people are even impeaching Wang Ji for colluding with pirates and intercepting the delegation. These are all baseless rumors, so Your Majesty need not worry."
The Empress Dowager remained silent; whether it was mere speculation or unfounded, she had her own judgment.
Two years ago, not long after the Battle of Luchuan began, an imperial censor died remonstrating with the emperor, and officials cried out that the national treasury was empty. In the end, the Earl of Huichang went to the palace, and the emperor allocated 100,000 taels from the inner palace to the national treasury, which calmed the uproar caused by the imperial censor's death.
With the army stationed far away, the Ministry of Revenue had no choice but to procure military provisions and send them to the southwest.
The Earl of Huichang sent money to the emperor more than once; on two occasions, the money was handed to the emperor through her.
The Sun family was of modest means; before she entered the palace, her father was a registrar.
Even after she became a Noble Consort, then an Empress, and finally an Empress Dowager, the Sun family still couldn't compare to those old noble families and wealthy merchants.
Their family doesn't have that kind of management talent.
Where would I get so much money if I only rely on my salary, the rent from farming, and the rent from a few shops?
The Empress Dowager always knew that most of the Sun family's money came from tributes from wealthy local merchants.
She was a woman from humble backgrounds and knew that being a businessman was difficult. To make a business grow and thrive, one inevitably needed powerful and influential people to back them up; otherwise, the business might be taken away.
Her advice to her family was always to avoid doing things that would burden the people and waste their money. Protecting wealthy merchants from other powerful figures was, in her opinion, a legitimate source of income.
But she didn't expect that these wealthy businessmen might be smugglers or even colluding with pirates.
The Empress Dowager is keeping a close eye on the Emperor. Does the Emperor know about this?
She stared intently at the emperor, hesitated for a moment, but still didn't ask the question aloud. Instead, she inquired, "Has the mission to Japan returned safely?"
The Emperor smiled and said, "They will return to the capital in a couple of days. If Your Majesty is interested in Japanese customs, you can invite them to the palace for a chat."
The Empress Dowager breathed a sigh of relief and nodded: "Alright."
She paused, then asked, "The matter of the censor impeaching the Earl of Huichang..."
"I will have someone investigate thoroughly and give Changbo justice," the emperor said with a smile, holding her hand. "Mother, today Cao Jixiang sent back 200,000 taels of silver, all of which was refined from silver mountains in Japan. You should really go and see it with your son. The silver is snow-white. Pan Jun had it made into silver bricks, each weighing a full 30 jin, so heavy that it's hard to hold."
(End of this chapter)