Daming: Dad, you are really not good at governing the country

Chapter 404: Both the Tang and Song dynasties prospered because of maritime trade. Why couldn’t the Ming Dynasty follow suit?

The banquet hall of Prince Jin's Mansion was magnificent and golden.

The bright lights make every corner sparkle, and the exquisite patterns on the carved beams and painted buildings seem to tell of the dignity and luxury of the palace.

Zhu Gang specially invited today a group of influential officials in the court, maritime traders who are well-known in overseas trade, and those resourceful and insightful strategists.

At this moment, people were taking their seats one after another, and the banquet hall was bustling with activity.

But in this bustle, there is a subtle and intriguing atmosphere.

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

Zhu Gang stood up slowly. He was wearing a gorgeous brocade robe.

The gold thread embroidered on the robe sparkled brightly under the light, making Zhu Gang look even more tall and majestic.

I saw him holding up the wine glass in his hand high, his eyes sharp.

Then Zhu Gang slowly scanned everyone one by one, his eyes revealing an unquestionable majesty, but also mixed with a bit of expectation.

Then he said, “Everyone, I asked you all to come here today because I have something important to discuss.

I would like to talk to you all about building city walls and creating ironclad ships.

Although this plan has been questioned when it was being implemented, I believe that as long as everyone can calm down.

Once you understand the pros and cons, you will understand my intentions."

Zhu Gang paused and looked around.

Seeing that everyone was sitting upright with different expressions, he continued, "Repairing the city wall of Yingtian Prefecture first does not mean that I have neglected the importance of overseas trade.

Think about the state of the world today. Although it seems peaceful on the surface, the world is constantly changing and there is no guarantee that something unexpected will happen!

With the protection of solid city walls, the people of our Ming Dynasty can live and work in peace and avoid the suffering of war and chaos.

Moreover, the construction of this city wall is also accumulating resources for building ironclad ships.

These two facts complement each other and are indispensable.

I hope everyone can support me and contribute to the development of Ming Dynasty."

After hearing Zhu Gang's words, everyone had different reactions.

Some people nodded slightly, as if they were pondering the meaning behind it and fell into deep thought.

Some people also frowned and looked embarrassed.

Others were muttering something in a low voice, and their expressions seemed as if they had encountered an extremely difficult problem.

Zhu Gang knew in his heart that it was not easy to truly convince everyone.

I can't let my impatience get out of hand again. I need to calm down and deal with the situation properly.

At this moment, a maritime trader stood up. This man was Chen Ruhai, who was quite influential in the business world.

He was wearing a brocade robe, the texture of which was extremely exquisite, and the delicate patterns embroidered on it showed his wealth.

Chen Ruhai was wearing an exquisite felt hat at this time, and his eyes were rolling around under the brim of the hat.

He had a shrewd and cunning smile on his face, and one could tell at first glance that he was a difficult person to deal with.

According to Zhu Gang's understanding, Chen Ruhai was a shrewd and cunning person.

He has been working in overseas trade for many years and has experienced countless storms.

While accumulating huge wealth, Chen Ruhai also developed the ability to weigh the pros and cons.

When he heard that Zhu Gang wanted to build the city wall first, he started to think quickly in his mind.

Chen Ruhai was well aware that this might have many adverse effects on his business, so he was one of the voices opposing it.

He frowned and said to Zhu Gang respectfully, "Your Highness, we are really worried about your city wall construction. First of all, the port tax is going to increase, and we businessmen can't afford it.

You see, we do overseas trade, and our profits are thin to begin with, and we all rely on volume.

Once this tax is increased, the cost will increase greatly, and the money earned will not be enough to pay the tax.

Secondly, trade routes may also change, which will disrupt our business.

If the port changes due to the construction of the city wall, then a series of matters such as our ship docking, cargo loading and unloading will have to be rearranged, which will be a big trouble.

We businessmen can't stand such a torment."

Zhu Gang hurriedly explained: "Boss Chen, don't worry.

Building the city wall first does not mean giving up the construction of ironclad ships, but is to better achieve long-term goals.

I hereby promise that I will do my best to create favorable conditions for overseas trade and safeguard everyone’s legitimate interests.

Regarding the port tax, I will discuss with the relevant departments and try my best to maintain the status quo.

As for trade routes, they will be fully considered when planning the construction of city walls to avoid unnecessary impact on everyone.

Don't worry, I will not let your business be damaged by the construction of this city wall."

After hearing what Zhu Gang said, Chen Ruhai thought to himself, "It sounds easy for His Highness to say this, but can he really do it?

I can’t just sit there and watch my business suffer.”

Thinking of this, although he no longer strongly opposed it on the surface, he still had doubts.

Chen Ruhai, who is suspicious by nature, is prepared to keep an eye on the development of the situation so as to find a way out for his business.

Immediately afterwards, another conservative official from the Ministry of Works named Li Chongyi stood up.

Li Chongyi was seen wearing a green official robe. The color of the robe was slightly dark, which seemed to reflect his old-fashioned and conservative character.

Li Chongyi had a serious face and almost no expression on his face.

There was a hint of conservatism in his eyes, as if he was rejecting all new things.

Li Chongyi is conservative by nature, and has always adhered to the official philosophy of putting stability first and causing less trouble.

When he heard that Zhu Gang was going to build an ironclad ship, he began to have doubts.

Li Chongyi frowned and said to Zhu Gang: "Your Highness, building an iron-clad ship is too risky.

If it fails, all the manpower and material resources will be wasted, which will be a huge loss for the Ming Dynasty.

Think about it, although our Ming Dynasty is still strong today, it cannot withstand such turmoil.

The construction of this ironclad ship requires high technical skills and the required materials are scarce.

If something goes wrong during the creation process, it will be too late to regret it.”

Zhu Gang looked determined, clasped his hands together, and responded sincerely: "Lord Li, I believe that expanding overseas trade is crucial to the development of the Ming Dynasty, and building iron-clad ships is also in line with the needs of the times."

Li Chongyi frowned and said worriedly, "Your Highness, this matter is quite risky."

Zhu Gang stepped forward and said excitedly, "Lord Li, although there are risks, through reasonable planning and preparation, we can reduce the risks and gain long-term benefits.

There is no shortage of successful examples in history: as early as the Tang Dynasty, with the development of navigation technology and economic prosperity, the Maritime Silk Road gradually emerged.

Coastal port cities such as Guangzhou and Quanzhou have emerged as important foreign trade ports.

The Tang Dynasty court established the Shibosi in these ports to manage overseas trade affairs, such as collecting tariffs and inspecting goods.

Li Chongyi raised his head slightly and asked, "Your Highness, what next?"

(End of this chapter)