My father is Jiajing

Inside the Wenhua Hall in the capital city.

At this moment, a heated debate is also taking place in the court.

Tan Lun, the newly appointed Minister of War, is reporting to Zhu Zaiji on matters concerning the defense of the southeastern coast.

Tan Lun bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Qi Jiguang's proposal to use Jeju Island as a transit port for the navy is very appropriate. It can both monitor the movements of the Japanese pirates and..."

As soon as Tan Lun finished speaking, a minister immediately objected, and Ge Shouli, an imperial censor from the Censorate, stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I have an objection!"

Ge Shouli bowed to Zhu Zaiji and immediately said, "Although Korea is a vassal state, I fear that the rash stationing of troops in Korean territory will cause unease among the surrounding countries. Moreover, Qi Jiguang holds a large army, and if he were to control the Korean Strait, his power would be too great, which would not be a blessing for the country!"

Ge Shouli's words were not without reason, and they quickly garnered the support of a group of ministers.

Of course, not all of these people were envious or afraid of the power of military generals like Qi Jiguang. Some of them were also worried that the expansion of military power would endanger the peace and stability of the country.

After all, such things have happened frequently throughout history.

Therefore, whether it was for their own selfish reasons or for the public good of the court, they did so.

Naturally, some ministers refuted this claim.

All of this was within Zhu Zaiji's expectations.

Moreover, the imperial court is not a place where the emperor has absolute power. If a major controversial matter arises, even if the emperor wants to do it his own way, it is not necessarily possible to push it through.

After all, things always need to be done by people. If there are too many people who oppose it, then there will also be many people who are passive in dealing with it.

This is similar to the plot of "Da Ming Dynasty 1566", where Emperor Jiajing, Yan Song, Yan Shifan and others creatively proposed the national policy of "converting rice paddies into mulberry fields" in Zhejiang in order to make up for the deficit of the court.

However, although this national policy was formulated and received the emperor's support and the cabinet's unanimous agreement,

However, in practice, the policy becomes extremely difficult to implement because so many interests and forces are involved.

In the end, the young Grand Secretary was so anxious that he did something as disastrous as destroying the dikes and flooding the fields.

After this disaster occurred, apart from the frontline officials and supervising eunuchs who paid the ultimate price, everyone else escaped unscathed.

If it weren't for Hai Rui's later intervention in Zhejiang, with the strong support of the Prince Yu faction, the emperor would most likely have pretended not to know, even if he had been aware of the matter.

Because all the emperor wanted was silver. With silver, the deficit could be covered, palaces repaired, and the court's finances could be put into normal operation. For the emperor, this was worthwhile.

So this is what Lü Fang meant when he said, "It's just one or two counties; the Emperor's heart is set on the entire country."

It is evident that in the minds of these people who are high and mighty, many people's lives are not considered human lives. As long as they do not hinder the implementation of important national policies or the normal operation of the court, their sacrifice is acceptable.

Therefore, this story also shows that sometimes even if Zhu Zaiji thought he had the whole situation under control and could give Qi Jiguang and his men great honor and power, it was not always the case.

However, if such glory and power do not receive unanimous recognition from both the government and the public, these glories and powers are very likely to be illegal, and their duration will be very short.

Therefore, in order to allow Qi Jiguang and his allies to more openly occupy Jeju Island in Korea and realize Zhu Zaiji's maritime power.

Now Zhu Zaiji must take the initiative to bring this matter to court discussion, allowing all parties to express their reasons and opinions.

Then he will act as the referee and give a final verdict on the matter.

That would be enough to let it go. Otherwise, the matter would continue to be discussed internally, causing administrative waste within the court, which would be intolerable to Zhu Zaiji!
Zhu Zaiji sat on the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over the crowd indifferently, without immediately offering any opinion.

Li Chunfang, Gao Gong, and others stood inside the hall. Upon sensing the emperor's gaze, they immediately reacted.

Tan Lun, a newcomer, dared to point out Qi Jiguang's affairs in Korea during a court meeting, which shows that the matter was definitely not as simple as it seemed.

There must be a deeper meaning behind it!

So at that moment, Li Chunfang and Gao Gong quickly reacted, stepped forward, and bowed to Zhu Zaiji.

"Your Majesty, I have something to say."

Zhu Zaiji smiled slightly, "Grand Secretaries, please speak freely. Court discussions are for everyone to talk. You can speak freely, and I will listen to everything."

Upon hearing Zhu Zaiji's words, Li Chunfang and Gao Gong became even more certain of their own suspicions.

Tan Lun dared to bring this up so readily, it must have been at the emperor's behest!
But the emperor certainly wouldn't give the order directly, so who would do it on his behalf?

In that instant, the two thought of Hu Zongxian, who had been standing to the side without showing any reaction or saying a word!

Back when Hu Zongxian was in Zhejiang, Tan Lun was the prefect of Taizhou. Over the years, Tan Lun has been able to rise so quickly from the local level to the capital and even be appointed to the important position of Minister of War, responsible for implementing the military reforms formulated by Hu Zongxian.

It's clear that Tan Lun was a protégé cultivated by Hu Zongxian!

After figuring this out, Li Chunfang and Gao Gong instantly understood the cause and effect.

This matter was clearly orchestrated by His Majesty the Emperor behind the scenes.

Since the emperor was directing things behind the scenes, the cabinet must also follow the emperor's lead.

After all, their rise to their current high positions was not solely due to their so-called abilities, but rather to Zhu Zaiji's gradual promotion and appreciation, which enabled them to stand out from a group of veteran officials and replace Xu Jie and other old ministers.

Now they both know very well that after Zhu Zaiji ascends the throne, he will definitely make great strides and create a great legacy.

If his cabinet is not commensurate with his achievements, then in the future development and adjustment of the court, they will be removed from the cabinet and replaced by obedient and capable ministers.

Li Chunfang and Gao Gong were both so young and so ambitious, eager to make a name for themselves in the new dynasty.

Therefore, they certainly wouldn't be so delusional as to pretend to be wise and prudent ministers and oppose the emperor the moment he has an idea.

Li Chunfang took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that Qi Jiguang's trip is not as serious as Imperial Censor Ge said."

"The Wokou raids have been a persistent problem for two hundred years since the founding of our dynasty. During the Jiajing reign, they caused chaos in the southeast for more than a decade. Now that our dynasty is at its peak and our navy is powerful, we should take advantage of our current strength to nip the Wokou raids in the bud."

"Moreover, Jeju Island was originally a horse-breeding island that our Emperor Taizu bestowed upon Korea with benevolence, but in recent years Korea has not supplied our Great Ming with warhorses on time."

"Now, in order to guard against Japanese pirates, it is not unreasonable to requisition this island as a naval base. If the Korean side has different intentions, then we should also investigate whether they have been secretly colluding with Japanese pirates and outwardly complying with but inwardly opposing our Great Ming Dynasty all these years."

As soon as Li Chunfang finished speaking, Gao Gong immediately followed up, saying, "Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Li is absolutely right! This island originally belonged to our Great Ming Dynasty. It is only being requisitioned for the navy to station and defend against Japanese pirates. It's not as serious as Censor Ge makes it out to be."

"Furthermore, the navy under Qi Jiguang's command is also supplied with military pay, salaries, weapons, and warships by the imperial court. If he has any disloyal intentions, the imperial court can immediately cut off these supplies, putting him in a dilemma."

"Moreover, there are still supervising eunuchs in the army who are responsible for the ideological and political education of the army. Even if Qi Jiguang has become too powerful and wants to disobey the imperial court, he has to consider whether he can command these naval soldiers." Gao Gong's words were even more direct, directly refuting the arguments of Ge Shouli and others.

At this point, Zhu Zaiji did not immediately make a final decision.

He then turned his gaze to Hu Zongxian, "What do you think, Hu Qing?"

At this moment, Hu Zongxian was called out by Zhu Zaiji, and he immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that what Grand Secretary Li and Grand Secretary Gao said is reasonable, and the words of Imperial Censor Ge are also words of loyalty to the country."

Zhu Zaiji chuckled, “Minister Hu is right. Qi Jiguang is working hard for the country, and I cannot let them down. Minister Ge and others are worried that military generals will become too powerful and harm the country, which is also a sincere concern. Minister Li and Minister Gao’s words are also without any selfish motives.”

"They are all loyal ministers, all for the sake of the Ming Dynasty. I am deeply gratified!"

Zhu Zaiji's words effectively sealed the deal in this matter.

Then Zhu Zaiji said to Tan Lun, "The Ministry of War should send a letter to the Eastern Ocean Navy, telling Qi Jiguang and his men that when they arrive at Jeju Island, they should act like guests and not take advantage of the fact that we are the Celestial Empire to bully the locals."

After giving instructions to Tan Lun, Zhu Zaiji looked at the cabinet.

Zhu Zaiji added, "The Cabinet and the Court of State Ceremonies also sent a formal letter of state to the King of Joseon, explaining the reasons why the Eastern Ocean Fleet was stationed on Jeju Island."

"At the same time, we must also tell them that the Ming Dynasty will not take advantage of them in purchasing any supplies for the navy on Jeju Island, and will purchase them at the prices in Joseon."

After Zhu Zaiji finished speaking, Li Chunfang and the others immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise!"

A few days later, at the Dongyang Navy base on Jeju Island.

Qi Jiguang has now led part of the main force of the Eastern Ocean Fleet here.

At the same time he arrived, the Ministry of War's letter also arrived.

Qi Jiguang couldn't help but laugh when he saw the letter from the Ministry of War.

The letter was immediately given to Yu Huatian, as the instructions in the letter were considered to be Yu Huatian's responsibility.

After reading the official letter, Yu Huatian immediately ordered the officers and soldiers in charge of political and ideological work in all naval units to convey and implement the requirements of the Ministry of War's letter, instructing them to restrain their respective naval units and prevent any violations of discipline.

Later, when Qi Jiguang and Yu Huatian were arranging naval tasks on Jeju Island.

Deng Zilong has arrived.

"General, General Deng Zilong has important business to discuss with you."

Qi Jiguang's personal guards whispered their report outside Qi Jiguang's room.

Qi Jiguang, who was looking at the coordinates marked on the nautical chart, responded to his personal guard's report, "Let him in."

Travel-worn Deng Zilong strode in, bowed, and exclaimed excitedly, "General, there's an unexpected surprise!"

Qi Jiguang, who was marking the location of Matsushima, turned around and smiled when he heard Deng Zilong's excited voice. "What unexpected joy?"

Deng Zilong said, "Some time ago, I was ordered by the Commander-in-Chief to go to Jeju Island first. During a banquet with local officials, I learned something surprising!"

"Yan Shifan's most wanted fugitive, Luo Longwen, is in Korea! Moreover, he has a close relationship with local officials. More importantly, Luo Longwen even controls the trade between Korea and Japan."

Upon hearing this, Qi Jiguang's eyes lit up.

This is truly an unexpected delight!

Qi Jiguang asked, "Can we send someone to monitor and verify this?"

Deng Zilong said, "When I heard it was Luo Longwen, I immediately arranged for people to monitor and verify it. Sure enough, it was him. Moreover, he is currently active in Seoul, the capital of Korea."

Deng Zilong continued his report, "According to my subordinates' communication with local official Kim Sam-soon, we have also discovered that Luo Longwen has a close relationship with Jeong Bin, the Left State Councilor of Seoul, and is a very influential figure in both the official and business circles of North Korea!"

Qi Jiguang laughed and said, "Luo Longwen is doing quite well in Korea; he's become a big shot."

Deng Zilong laughed and said, "He relied on his past status and knowledge in the Ming Dynasty to fool these Koreans who didn't understand the inner workings of the Ming Dynasty. Otherwise, how could he have gone from a stray dog ​​to a guest of honor in Korea?"

Qi Jiguang laughed again, "Continue to monitor him, but don't alert him. Of course, if he makes any unusual moves, take him down immediately! After all, that's a merit too!"

Deng Zilong smiled and bowed, saying, "This subordinate understands!"

After Deng Zilong left, Qi Jiguang immediately sent someone to invite Yu Huatian over and told him about the unexpected discovery of Luo Longwen.

Upon hearing this, Yu Huatian couldn't help but smile, never expecting to encounter such a good thing.

Yu Huatian laughed and said, "I'll write a memorial and send it back to the court so they can send someone to investigate him."

Qi Jiguang couldn't help but laugh when he heard Yu Huatian's words.

Clearly, neither of them took Luo Longwen seriously, nor did they know how much silver he had amassed in Japan.

If Qi Jiguang and Yu Huatian had known about this, they probably wouldn't have simply written a memorial and sent someone to monitor Luo Longwen.

So, it has to be said that Luo Longwen does have a bit of luck, but unfortunately, it seems that he doesn't have much of it.

At the same time, Luo Longwen breathed a sigh of relief after thinking that he had received Zheng Bin's assurance.

He thought Zheng Bin could handle everything that followed.

But in reality, Zheng Bin didn't care about Luo Longwen's life or death; all Zheng Bin cared about was the money in Luo Longwen's hands.

Moreover, when he was extorting Luo Longwen, his expectation was only five thousand taels of silver.

As a result, Luo Longwen immediately offered 50,000 taels of silver, which stunned Zheng Bin!

Before Zheng Bin could even react, Luo Longwen offered another 100,000 taels of silver, plus some of his properties!
Now Zheng Bin finally realized just how enormous Luo Longwen's financial power truly was.

At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder if Luo Longwen had managed to extract all the money from Yan Shifan, a criminal official of the Ming Dynasty.
Thinking of this, Zheng Bin's heart was also burning with excitement!
It's worth noting that the biggest news in Korea in recent years has been the discussion of Yan Song and Yan Shifan versus Xu Jie and Xu Fan, two pairs of corrupt fathers and sons who wielded immense power during the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, with their limited imaginations, they couldn't even fathom the amount of wealth embezzled by the Yan and Xu families. Yet, Luo Longwen had given Zheng Bin such a profound shock, making him unable to resist letting his mind wander and contemplate amounts of wealth he had never dared to dream of before.

So much so that after retiring, Jeong Bin had nothing to do and began to daydream about the history of North Korea, laying a solid foundation for it to become the world's number one superpower!

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