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

Chapter 406

In Yingtian Prefecture, the Prince of Jin’s Palace stands majestically.

It is like a city within a city, demonstrating the royal majesty and luxury.

As you enter the palace gate, you will see an open courtyard.

The ground paved with bluestone slabs is flat and smooth, with a few tenacious little green grasses occasionally poking their heads out from the cracks.

It sways gently in the breeze, as if nodding to the visitors.

On both sides of the courtyard, there are several stone beasts of various shapes.

Some of them bared their teeth and claws, as if they were about to pounce, as if they were guarding the peace of the palace.

Some of them hold their heads high and chests puffed out, with a serene look, revealing an air of simplicity and solemnity.

Walking along the gravel path in the middle of the courtyard, you can see a magnificent palace. That is where the royal palace usually discusses important matters.

The eaves of the hall are decorated with exquisite carvings of auspicious beasts.

In the sunlight, it sparkles with golden light and looks lifelike.

It seems as if it will jump off the eaves and rush into the sky at any time.

The vermilion gate is heavy and solemn, and the copper nails inlaid on the door are neatly arranged and full.

After years of wear and tear, it still emits a faint bronze glow, witnessing the rise and fall, honor and disgrace of the palace.

Inside the palace, it is even more magnificent.

Above the high dome, there is a colorful caisson pattern painted.

There are auspicious clouds and dragons and phoenixes flying.

The delicate brushstrokes and brilliant colors make people feel as if they are in a fairyland.

On the walls around are hung precious calligraphy and paintings.

Either the landscape is tranquil or the characters are vivid.

They are all works of famous artists of the time, adding a touch of elegant artistic atmosphere to the hall.

There are several rows of carved pear wood chairs in the hall, and the carvings on the chair backs are intricately detailed.

Patterns of flowers, auspicious birds, etc. are arranged in an orderly manner, demonstrating the exquisite skills of the craftsmen.

The tables and chairs all exude a light wood fragrance, which blends with the scent of incense in the air, creating an atmosphere that is both solemn and comfortable.

At this moment, Zhu Gang was sitting on the main seat in the hall, wearing a gorgeous brocade robe. The exquisite cloud patterns embroidered with gold thread on the robe sparkled under the candlelight.

He nodded slightly, his eyes focused, and listened thoughtfully to the counselors' talks.

Zhang Qiwen stood in the hall, looking excited and talking eloquently.

"Your Highness, in my opinion, if we want to develop maritime affairs now, we can start from two aspects.

First, a special fund could be set up to compensate merchants who suffered losses in maritime trade.

In this way, merchants will have no worries and maritime trade will be able to flourish.”

Zhu Gang nodded slightly, his eyes full of thought, and motioned Zhang Qiwen to continue.

Zhang Qiwen continued, "Secondly, it is the matter of this ironclad ship.

Your Highness, building an ironclad ship cannot be done in one go.

We can first build a small ironclad ship model for testing, and continuously improve the process and design through repeated experiments.

Once the technology matures, it won’t be too late to build it on a large scale.”

As he spoke, he used his hands to make shapes of different sizes, looking very serious.

It was as if he really had models of ironclad ships in his hands at this moment, to reinforce the feasibility of this matter.

Zhu Gang folded his arms across his chest and looked at Zhang Qiwen with interest.

A glimmer of light gradually appeared in his eyes, and he seemed to be quite moved by this proposal.

Zhang Qiwen continued, "Furthermore, the materials needed to build the ironclad ship must be planned in advance. We need to open up a wide range of procurement channels to ensure sufficient supply and high quality.

This will not only reduce risks, but also allow the Ministry of Industry officials to see that we are well prepared, so that things will go more smoothly in the future.”

After saying this, Zhang Qiwen looked at Zhu Gang expectantly, his eyes full of eagerness for recognition.

After listening to this, Zhu Gang couldn't help but applaud and a look of joy appeared on his face.

He said in a loud voice: "Qiwen's strategy is brilliant!

In this way, perhaps it can really dispel many people's concerns.

However, the manpower, material resources and financial resources required for these two things are extremely huge!

Although I want to do it, I am afraid I am not strong enough to do it. "

At this moment, Li Ming, the counselor who had not spoken, frowned slightly, and a different opinion appeared on his face.

He coughed lightly, took a step forward, bowed respectfully and said, "Your Highness, I think this matter needs further consideration.

Although Mr. Sun and Mr. Zhang's plan seems to be comprehensive, it actually has many hidden dangers."

Li Ming paused, looked around at everyone, his eyes showing a serious look.

“Take the example of setting up a special fund to compensate sea traders. Where does this fund come from?
If the expenditure is taken from the finances of the Prince of Jin's Palace, it may affect the development of other affairs of the palace.

Although our palace is fairly well-off, we also have many expenses.

Taking out a large sum of money all at once will probably make it difficult to finance many matters in the future.

If we apply to the imperial court, the court’s expenses are quite tight now.

Disaster relief and border defense in various places all require money, but it may not be approved."

Everyone nodded slightly when they heard this, thinking that what Li Ming said made sense.

Li Ming saw the reactions of the crowd and calmed down a little, and continued: "Besides, although the many measures to build ironclad ships can reduce risks, the time and energy consumed are incalculable.

What if there is a war on the border during this period and warship support is urgently needed, but we are still experimenting and improving, wouldn’t that be a big mistake?
The matter at sea is important, but the stability of this border is even more related to the foundation of the Ming Dynasty. Your Highness must consider this carefully. "

Zhao Xuan was listening at the side, but he disagreed in his heart.

As soon as Li Ming finished speaking, he immediately retorted: "Brother Li, this is wrong.

Although the palace's finances are limited, this matter concerns the development of the Ming Dynasty, so expenditures can naturally be adjusted appropriately when necessary.

When applying for funding from the court, you can also state the interests and seek support.

Nowadays, the benefits of maritime trade are becoming increasingly prominent. If we can build ironclad ships to enhance our maritime strength, the profits we gain in the future will surely benefit the royal palace and the imperial court.

As for the time required to build an ironclad ship, as long as it is arranged reasonably and planned in advance, it may not delay the war.

Besides, the border is relatively stable now, and it is time for us to prepare for a rainy day. How can we stop eating because of choking?"

Li Ming snorted and said disdainfully: "Zhao Xuan, you make it sound so easy.

Do you know that there are many factions within the court now, each with its own plans, so it is not easy to apply for funding?
Things in the court are not as simple as you think.

Besides, can you guarantee that the border will always be stable?
If war breaks out and we invest a lot of manpower and material resources into building ironclad ships that may not produce results in the short term, who will bear the responsibility?

Humph, don't let this cause trouble for everyone."

Seeing that the two were arguing, Zhang Qiwen also joined in the argument.

"Brother Li, you are too pessimistic.

There are risks in everything we do, but we can't give up because of fear.

Nowadays, overseas trade is becoming increasingly important. If we do not build ironclad ships to enhance our maritime strength, we will inevitably be at a disadvantage in future maritime trade competition and even in possible naval battles.

The construction of the city wall was also to ensure stability in the interior and lay the foundation for long-term development.

This is all for the long-term interests of Ming Dynasty. What does a little risk matter? "

(End of this chapter)