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Chapter 1256 Arrogant Assumption

"Don't worry, don't worry, Grand Secretary Xi, Prime Minister Ao, when it comes to world order, I have some questions that I need to answer, and I hope you two will give me some advice!"

As an official of the Ming Dynasty, the chances of having serious conversations with women were almost zero. But in the Jingyang Dynasty, this had to be changed. The higher the official, the more thorough the change. Otherwise, he would not be able to work for three days.

For example, the female Prime Minister of Sun Moon Bank, all the officials above the third rank in Beijing have to come into contact with her, as well as the female managers who can be seen everywhere in Sun Moon Bank. Because there are only material reserves in the national treasury, all money transactions must be handled at Sun Moon Bank.

Although Oyani had no rank, her authority was almost as high as that of half the Minister of Revenue, half the Minister of Taxation, and half the Left Censor-in-Chief. She became the uncrowned king in charge of the Ming Dynasty's treasury, taxation, and the audit of money and goods accounts, and her figure often appeared in the imperial meetings convened by the emperor.

Did anyone raise objections? Of course, there were some, but they became weaker and weaker, and almost disappeared in recent years. It was not because the emperor had issued a similar decree, nor was it because everyone was used to it, but because everyone realized the importance and convenience of banks in the operation of the court.

With the money, budget, accounts, and goods in and out between the Sun and Moon Bank, Customs, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Taxation, everything will be clear. There will no longer be a situation where the largest foreign trade port only collects tens of thousands of taels of silver in tax each year, and buying a piece of wood will not cost thousands of taels of silver.

Even if such accounts were approved by the Ministry of Taxation and the Ministry of Revenue, they would still be withheld at the customs because the prices were obviously inconsistent with the market. Even if they were approved anyway, they still could not withdraw the draft or get the money at the Riyue Bank.

With clear accounts, there are fewer opportunities to embezzle state funds. Coupled with severe penalties and ubiquitous supervision mechanisms, corruption and waste have been greatly curbed.

If Oyani was replaced by a man, even if he was a foreigner like Silva, he would have been an official of the first or second rank with such achievements, and it would not be an exaggeration to become a minister.

"There is no such thing as enlightenment. We only heard about it afterwards and got the transcript of His Majesty's lecture notes. We have no idea what that person wants to do. We came to greet His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange without any imperial decree, so how can we solve his doubts?"

She was definitely angry. Oyani did not show a good face to the smiling Minister of Rites and pushed back hard. Even His Majesty the Emperor became that person, which was extremely disrespectful.

"Your Majesty has chosen the virtuous couple to accompany His Royal Highness throughout the entire visit, which must have a deep meaning. This is the list of visiting guests. The four marked with lines are the main guests. Except for Governor Cohen, the others are new faces. See if you can recognize them. Maybe you can smell some clues from them."

Facing Oyani's aggressiveness, Yang Sichang still had a smile on his face. It's not that he is a mean person, but he is used to it. What about Wang Chengen, a powerful figure like the emperor's shadow, a proper chief steward of the inner palace. But this guy still confronted her, and he did it in front of the emperor. If the emperor can tolerate it, why can't he?

Besides, being good at talking doesn't necessarily mean being bad. Some people are always smiling and friendly, but they won't help at all. Even if they smile until their back teeth stick out, it won't help. Oyani is a typical person with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. As long as you don't offend her, she usually won't refuse a favor.

"Minister Yang, we also have a list. If we have to say that there is an acquaintance, besides Governor Cohen, it is Mr. Bick. His family has been engaged in the shipping industry and has had dealings with the Sun Moon Bank for many years. His Majesty wants to use this relationship to let my wife and I test the other party's attitude in advance and pave the way for future negotiations." Without waiting for Oyani to answer, Silva spoke first. The mission of receiving the Prince of Orange and his entourage this time was not public, and even the Minister of Rites had no right to know the full picture, so this was the answer for anyone who asked.

"Negotiation... Yang really can't think of how to negotiate. I have also carefully read your Majesty's lecture notes. Put yourself in their shoes and think about what the monarchs of European countries would do after learning the details. Would they be willing to give up their power easily and be willing to be subordinate to others?"

Silva's explanation was very reasonable. In recent years, the Sun Moon Bank not only played a great role within the Ming Empire, but also gradually expanded and expanded, with branches opened in Europe thousands of miles away. All people and organizations that had economic dealings with the Ming Empire could hardly avoid this behemoth.

But he had some complaints about the Prince of Orange's intentions and the Emperor's goals. The idea of ​​establishing a new world order was too bizarre. To put it nicely, it was ambitious, to put it bluntly, it was arrogant.

Obviously, whoever proposes this concept and leads the establishment process will have a great say in the future system. This is equivalent to catching most of the countries and ethnic groups in the world in one fell swoop, forcing monarchs and leaders to give up some power and be forced to abide by the same set of rules.

If it's just about stealing money, it's not that difficult, but it's very difficult to seize someone's power. There seems to be no precedent in history. All plots involving the transfer of power always end in war. Trying to make someone submit by intimidation and reasoning is really unprecedented and the hope is slim.

"Your Majesty has never done anything absurd over the years. He always thinks twice before he acts, and always anticipates the enemy. He should be somewhat confident. But we are stupid and cannot follow your Majesty's thoughts. Let's wait and see."

On the second day of the Imperial Academy's personal lecture, every word the emperor said had already spread in some areas. The Beijing officials were definitely one of them, and they were the first to see it. The Silva couple would naturally not lag behind, but their attitudes towards this plan were completely opposite.

As a university scholar, Silva often handled government affairs with the emperor. After a long period of close contact, although he could not fully see through the mind of the powerful man, he could gain some insights from his sixth sense.

The emperor's sudden proposal to establish a world order was by no means reckless or arrogant. The General Staff was busy with this matter, which meant that the idea had turned into a plan. As long as there were no major obstacles along the way, detailed steps would soon be released.

The active actions of the General Staff showed that the military supported it. If we must say that the emperor might make a stupid move, it is not wrong, as no one is perfect. But the guys in the General Staff are all strong and well-off, and they are known for their courage to speak out. If most of them do not agree with the emperor's ideas, they will definitely not execute them so readily.

"Hasn't he done enough ridiculous things? He personally led an army deep into the enemy's territory, and quietly sailed thousands of miles to attack the Spanish fleet. Which of these is what a normal emperor would do? I know you always think that he is far-sighted and thoughtful, but you forgot a key point!"

(End of this chapter)