Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 378 Fireflies to the moon, streams to rivers and seas

"Good! What a wonderful 'willing to die a thousand deaths'!"

Zhu Youjian's voice was no longer gentle, but carried the unique majesty of an emperor, enough to make all officials tremble: "I have not misjudged you! Rise and come with me!"

After saying that, he turned around and strode towards the huge screen on the side of the warm pavilion that almost occupied the entire wall.

That screen was no ordinary object; it was neither embroidered with birds nor painted with flowers. What was mounted on it was a fine silk copy of the "Complete Map of the World" that combined the essence of the Ming Dynasty's imperial geomantic maps with Western nautical charts.

Hong Chengchou dared not delay, quickly stood up, straightened his slightly disheveled official robe, and followed closely behind.

The shock he had just experienced had soaked his inner garment with cold sweat. As soon as he stood still, he felt a chill run down his spine, unsure whether it was from the wind and snow outside the palace or from the suffocating future revealed in the booklet.

He came up behind the emperor and his gaze fell on the painting.

The emperor stretched out his long, powerful fingers and slowly traced them along the southeastern coastline.

The finger moved from Lianzhou Prefecture in Guangxi to Guangzhou Prefecture in Guangdong, then to Zhangzhou and Quanzhou in Fujian, and finally stopped at Ningbo Prefecture in Zhejiang, where Hong Chengchou had just left office.

"Hengjiu, you just said you were willing to be my sword, my soldier on the battlefield." Zhu Youjian's voice was deep and somber. "Swords and soldiers are good, but what I want to give you is more than that."

He turned around abruptly, his eyes shining like stars.

"I hereby appoint you as: the Imperial Minister in charge of all matters related to famine relief and disaster prevention by land and water throughout the realm, and concurrently the Directorate General of Royal Maritime Transport!"

"This position is not included in the regular personnel selection of the Ministry of Personnel, is not involved in the drafting of proposals by the Cabinet, and is not under the control of the Six Ministries! Above, you are only responsible to me; below, you have the authority to control and dispatch the governors and generals of the coastal provinces, as well as all relevant departments, bureaus, factories, and guards of the Ministries of Revenue, Works, and War! In all matters related to famine relief and disaster relief, you have the power to act first and report later! I bestow upon you the Imperial Sword and the secret edict and gold tablet, as if I were personally present!"

Prime Minister?!
Commanding all land and water famine relief efforts?!
In the more than two hundred years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, has there ever been such an official position?

Judging from the emperor's words, this was almost equivalent to placing the power to control half of the court entirely in his hands!
Hong Chengchou's lips moved, and the shock that had been suppressed resurfaced on his face. He subconsciously tried to kneel down again, but Zhu Youjian grabbed his arm.

"No need to kneel!" Zhu Youjian's arm was as strong as an iron clamp. "I gave you this immense power not so that you could express your gratitude, but so that you could do things! Do things that are extremely difficult, even impossible!"

He pulled Hong Chengchou, who was still in shock, back to the map and pointed to the Grand Canal running from north to south.

“Look here,” Zhu Youjian’s tone turned icy, “this is the Grand Canal of my Great Ming Dynasty, the lifeblood of my dynasty. Yet since I ascended the throne, I have reformed it several times, killing wave after wave of corrupt officials, but this lifeblood is still only partially open, blocked in every way!”

"The traditional grain transport bureaucracy was deeply entrenched, with layers of bureaucratic corruption. If six or seven out of ten grain ships were to arrive safely in Tongzhou, it would be considered a stroke of luck! Not to mention the slow speed and meager transport capacity. To expect it to save the tens of millions of disaster victims next year is like trying to catch fish by climbing a tree or trying to find a sword by marking the boat!"

Every word the emperor spoke was like an ice blade, slicing into Hong Chengchou's heart.

He knew full well that the emperor's words were true; the problems with the Grand Canal were deeply entrenched and difficult to eradicate. It was a chronic disease caused by countless interest groups entrenched in it, sucking the empire's lifeblood. Even with the emperor's current brutal crackdown, achieving quick results would not be easy. Moreover, problems like the canal running dry were becoming increasingly frequent!

“Therefore,” Zhu Youjian’s finger suddenly swept across the vast blue expanse of the Grand Canal, “I will open up a completely new and efficient lifeline solely for the control of imperial power!”

"I want to replace the grain transport with the sea!"

Hong Chengchou's breathing suddenly became rapid. He looked up abruptly, and his piercing eyes shone with the same intense light as the emperor's!

"Your Majesty is wise! When I was in Zhejiang, I dared to have such an idea! Our Great Ming Dynasty has a vast sea border and the best ships in the world! The Fujian ships are as tall as buildings and are not afraid of wind and waves; the sand ships have flat bottoms and are suitable for both the north and the south. If we use these ships for sea transport, why should we worry about the grain not reaching the capital?"

His eyes shone brightly, as if he could already see the magnificent sight of a thousand sails racing across the river:
"If we can gather a hundred ships, then a million shi of military provisions can be transported from the rice-producing lands of the south to Tianjin within ten days! Such lightning speed is incomparable to the cargo ships on the Grand Canal that take months to make their way through the many turns."

Furthermore, on the vast ocean, there are no extortionate checkpoints or the wasteful labor of boatmen and porters; the only expenses are the manpower for loading and unloading and the maintenance of the boats. Compared to the insatiable wolves on the canal transport routes, it's like comparing heaven and earth!

At this point, his tone turned serious, carrying a sharp, murderous aura:
"And more importantly! This method, once implemented, is like removing the fuel from under the pot, bypassing all the corrupt officials, local ruffians, and grain guilds that have been deeply entrenched on the Grand Canal, sucking the lifeblood of the nation. It leaves them powerless and unable to exploit their resources! This is not merely opening up a new path, but truly removing a piece of festering flesh from the court!"

Hong Chengchou took a deep breath, raised his head, and stared intently at the emperor:

"However, in my opinion, all of the above is not the most ingenious aspect of Your Majesty's strategy! Your Majesty's actions, seemingly to alleviate a temporary disaster, are in fact laying the foundation for the eternal prosperity of our Great Ming! It is to guide the lifeline of this empire from those narrow and congested inland waterways to the vast and boundless blue sea! This is the magnanimity of an emperor, the spirit to embrace the four seas! In the long run, our Great Ming navy will become strong through commerce and prosperous through the sea, eventually becoming the best in the world; the imperial prestige of our dynasty will also spread far and wide with those sails, attracting homage from all directions!"

As Hong Chengchou spoke, he became more and more excited, and an unnatural flush appeared on his originally thin face.

He had only conceived these ideas in the early stages while in Zhejiang, and felt they were too shocking and involved too many powerful interest groups, so he dared not easily submit them to the emperor.

I never imagined that I would hear it from the Emperor himself today!
This tacit understanding and resonance between the ruler and his subject made his blood feel like it was on fire!
Zhu Youjian listened quietly, looking at the minister before him who was so excited that he had lost his composure, and the look of admiration in his eyes grew stronger.

He slowly reached out and gently patted Hong Chengchou's shoulder, letting out a long sigh.

"Heng Jiu, Heng Jiu," the emperor sighed from the bottom of his heart, "I always say that my Great Ming Dynasty is full of talented people, but people like you who are loyal to the country, have practical abilities, and can open their eyes to see this world that has already changed, to think, and to seek change are extremely rare!"
If all the high-ranking officials of my Great Ming Dynasty were like you, what would there be to worry about in terms of peace and prosperity for the nation!

This heartfelt praise pleased Hong Chengchou more than any reward.

His proud heart had long been subdued by the emperor's wisdom, and now he was deeply soothed by this friendship.

Hong Chengchou composed himself, calming his agitated emotions slightly, and said respectfully, "Your Majesty flatters me; I am unworthy of such praise. Since Your Majesty has already decided on the national policy of replacing grain transport with maritime transport, you must have made thorough arrangements. Do you have any further instructions regarding this matter? I am all ears!"

He narrowed his piercing eyes, knowing that the emperor's schemes could not possibly stop at just those four words.

Sure enough, Zhu Youjian's lips curled into a mysterious smile, a smile that carried the confidence of someone in complete control.

"Indeed, replacing the canal with the sea is just a starting point. To truly accomplish this, we need to add a medicinal soup to strengthen its structure and ensure smooth blood circulation."

He withdrew his hand, placed it behind his back, took two steps, and his entire demeanor changed once again.

"I call this medicine 'government-supervised and merchant-managed,' using profit to drive its development!"

"Government-supervised and merchant-operated?" Hong Chengchou pondered these four words, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Zhu Youjian nodded: "Exactly. My navy cannot always rust in the port! The naval fleet should participate in escort missions, and even directly use some warships and official ships to transport grain! In this way, firstly, soldiers can be trained and familiarized with the routes, so that they know that the sea is not only for fighting pirates, but also for generating gold and silver! Secondly, it can also directly improve transport capacity and set an example."

"But that's not enough," Zhu Youjian changed the subject. "The imperial fleet is limited. To achieve great things, we must leverage the power of the entire nation. Therefore, I will establish an agency, namely the Royal Maritime Transport Administration, which is the title I just gave you! Its sole responsibility is to formulate rules, issue tender documents, and supervise their implementation!"

"I want it to be open to all maritime merchants in the world, whether it's the Dutch East India Company that dominates the South Seas, or the Portuguese, Spanish, or English. As long as they have ships, the ability, and the efficiency, they can bid for my grain transport contracts!"

Hong Chengchou was deeply shocked!
To sign a contract with the Red-haired Barbarians and have their ships transport grain for the Ming Dynasty?!
What an unprecedented idea!
Since ancient times, those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts.

Throughout history, these foreign merchants from overseas have always been treated with utmost caution, and even after the maritime ban was lifted, they were still subject to strict restrictions.

And His Majesty actually intends to entrust the vital task of transporting grain to them?

Zhu Youjian seemed to see through his doubts and sneered, "Hengjiu, you must remember one thing. Where there is profit, even barbarians can be friends; where there is righteousness, even blood relatives can become enemies!"

"I'm not talking about morality or diplomacy with those red-haired barbarians, but about business! It's about money! As long as the price I offer is fair and the profits are generous, they will be my most loyal carriers. Why not use them?"

This blatant analysis of interests was like a wake-up call, instantly making Hong Chengchou see the light!
Yes! I've fallen into a trap, always viewing things through the lens of the distinction between Chinese and barbarians.

The emperor, however, had long since transcended this circle; all he considered was whether something was usable or not!

"This is the core of commercial real estate," Zhu Youjian's voice continued, full of allure, "and it is also my second remedy, to drive it with profit!"

"To incentivize these maritime merchants, I will grant them what they desire. First, official recognition! Anyone who signs a long-term contract with the Royal Maritime Administration and performs exceptionally well will be granted the status of a Royal Merchant!"

"I will exempt them from some taxes on their ships, and may even grant them some special trading rights. For example, ginseng that is in high demand outside the Great Wall, medicinal herbs that are special to the north, or the export quotas for the high-quality silks bearing the 'Imperial Production and Supervision' gold seal that you just consolidated in Jiangnan!"

"I will give them sources of goods that others don't have, so they can earn ten or a hundred times the profit. Hengjiu, just imagine, when all these benefits are laid out before them, won't all the ships in the world rush towards Tianjin like sharks smelling blood?"

"When they compete with each other to win my orders, I get the lowest freight rates and the most efficient service!"

Snapped!
Hong Chengchou couldn't help but slap his thigh and exclaim, "Brilliant! Your Majesty, this plan... is absolutely brilliant! No! Not just brilliant, it's a stroke of genius! It's a strategy of unparalleled talent!"

He was so excited he could hardly contain himself!

This is more than just a solution to replace grain transport by sea.

This is clearly a grand blueprint that uses disaster relief as a pretext and profit as a means to combine maritime power, imperial power, and commercial power, thereby completely controlling the economic lifeline of the Ming Dynasty and even influencing the entire maritime landscape of East Asia!
First, use swift and decisive measures to crack down on the old interest groups, such as the Grand Canal transport and the gentry of Jiangnan. Then, use gentle and nurturing methods to support a new maritime merchant group that is completely subservient to the imperial power!
This act of destruction and construction, this push and pull, reveals the exquisite art of imperial strategy!
Looking at the young emperor before him, Hong Chengchou felt a deep sense of awe mixed with fervent worship.

However, what shocked him even more was yet to come.

"Your Majesty's strategy is brilliant and far-sighted, something I have never heard of or seen before! However, such a massive plan, from its announcement and preparation to the mobilization of ships and the procurement of grain, will likely take several months or even a year to see results. The great disaster that will occur next spring and summer is probably... a case of 'distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.'" Hong Chengchou suppressed his excitement and raised the most crucial question.

Zhu Youjian smiled.

That smile was meaningful, as if to say, "You still underestimate me."

He slowly walked back to his desk and pulled out a thick stack of secret scrolls wrapped in yellow silk from under the book "Complete Collection of Abnormal Events in the Year of Gengchen".

"Hengjiu, do you still remember why I stirred up such a huge storm in Jiangnan last year, slaughtering those hoarding grain merchants and causing chaos and destruction?"

Hong Chengchou's heart skipped a beat, and he bowed, saying, "Your Majesty understands. Your Majesty's intention is to intimidate the gentry of Jiangnan and also to replenish the national treasury." "You're only half right."

Zhu Youjian untied the yellow silk and pushed the stack of secret scrolls in front of Hong Chengchou.

"Open it and take a look."

With a hint of doubt, Hong Chengchou carefully picked up the top scroll.

The cover only has five small characters: "Nanzi No. 1".

He slowly unfolded it.

His pupils contracted sharply after just one glance!
On it was a secret document that had already been stamped and signed!

Above the contract, the signatory was none other than the "Royal Procurement Office of the Imperial Household Department"—a name of an office he had never heard of before.

The person who accepted the contract was Li Dan, a prominent maritime merchant from Fujian!

The contract states that the Imperial Palace agreed to purchase 500,000 shi of rice, including Champa rice, from them at a price higher than the market price, and ordered that the rice be transported to the designated official granaries in Guang and Zhang prefectures in three batches before the beginning of spring the following year!

The date of the signature and seal was clearly six months ago!
In other words, while the emperor's massacre in Jiangnan seemed to be merely a ploy to rectify official corruption, his true plan had already been quietly laid out!
Hong Chengchou's hands began to tremble. He put down the first volume, then quickly picked up the second, the third...

A pledge of alliance with the head merchants of the Thirteen Factories of Guangdong!
Secret agreements made with ship owners in Yuegang and Liaoluo Bay!

He even saw a lease and purchase agreement written in both Chinese and Russian, which turned out to be a shocking secret agreement signed with the Dutch merchant governor who was based in Penghu, to pre-lease his large decked warships and purchase rice from Siam, Annam and other places!

One volume! And another!
Each volume represents hundreds of thousands of bushels of grain!
Each volume represents a maritime power that has long been secretly subdued or won over by the emperor!

He had only heard that His Majesty had taken drastic measures in Jiangnan, slaughtering the gentry and grain merchants who had hoarded grain, leaving them in a state of utter misery. Everyone said that the emperor was tyrannical and cruel.

But who could have imagined that beneath that thunderous and overwhelming appearance lay such a profound, silent, and far-reaching plan!
The emperor was not simply venting his anger and plundering; he was using the most ruthless methods to eliminate competitors in the market for the new nobles he was going to support, and at the same time, he was making a huge gamble!
A high-stakes gamble, wagering the Ming Dynasty's national treasury against future natural disasters, against the tide of time!

“These…these…” Hong Chengchou’s voice was completely hoarse. He looked up at the emperor, his gaze as if he were looking at a god or Buddha.

"This is my plan for establishing advance warehouses." Zhu Youjian's tone was so calm, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"Since half a year ago, I have secretly dispatched imperial envoys with my personal seal and secret edicts to the south to secretly negotiate with major maritime and grain merchants. With the royal reputation as collateral, these long-term grain purchase and transportation contracts have been signed. At the same time, I have used funds from the imperial treasury to establish more than a dozen large granaries in Guangzhou, Zhangzhou, Ningbo and other places in the name of the Royal Textile Bureau and the Maritime Trade Office. Now these granaries are continuously purchasing and stockpiling grain, especially the most durable rice and Champa rice imported from overseas."

"By next spring, the grain stored in these forward warehouses will amount to no less than three million shi! This is the first batch of military rations I have prepared for you!"

Three million shi!

Hong Chengchou felt as if his heart was about to leap out of his chest!
He took a deep breath, the cold air filling his lungs, but it did nothing to cool down his burning heart.

Hong Chengchou slowly closed his eyes.

To be honest, Hong Chengchou considered himself exceptionally talented and had a very high opinion of himself.

Since passing the imperial examination, whether serving as a local official, supervising grain production in Shaanxi, or serving as governor of Zhejiang, he has always been adept at his duties and achieved remarkable political success. He harbors a sense of pride that he is the only hero in the world who can rival him.

His feelings towards the emperor were respect, fear, and loyalty.

But deep down, he, like many scholars, still harbored a sense of pride in the idea of ​​"the ruler and his ministers working together to govern the world."

He believed that he was the sharpest knife in the emperor's hand, and perhaps one day he would become the most indispensable minister.

However, it was only at this moment, until the emperor casually unveiled these schemes that exceeded the limits of his imagination.
Everything the emperor did constantly broadened his horizons and refreshed his understanding!

The emperor's gaze had long since transcended the immediate calamities, the wealth of Jiangnan, and even the Jurchens and bandits, turning towards a deeper and more expansive space and time!

While Hong Chengchou was still basking in the glory of Zhejiang's treasure trove, the emperor had already incorporated the entire Southeast China Sea, and even the distant South Seas, into his chessboard!

What a magnanimous heart! What a courageous spirit!
In the presence of this young emperor, Hong Chengchou's proud achievements and strategies were like fireflies compared to the bright moon, or streams compared to rivers and seas!
Hong Chengchou lowered his proud head in sincere admiration.

"That's not all."

Zhu Youjian seemed oblivious to the complex and shocked expression on Hong Chengchou's face. He walked to the end of the enormous "Complete Map of the World" and pointed heavily at the northeast corner of the map—Tianjin Wei.

"Grain was transported from the south and eventually landed here, then was transferred to the entire northern region, especially the capital area. Tianjin was the end point of this entire maritime lifeline and the starting point of disaster relief in the north! Its importance is self-evident."

"Therefore, five months ago, I secretly ordered the elite troops of the Beijing Garrison to be stationed in Tianjin. On one hand, we are expanding the docks, and on the other hand, we are dredging the Haihe River waterway. Most importantly..."

A hint of arrogance flashed in his eyes.

“I built a new home there for the grain from the north.”

"An unprecedented Tianjin Royal Reserve Warehouse!"

"This granary covers a thousand acres and is divided into a hundred sections. Its foundation is deep and solidified with huge stones; the walls are over ten feet thick, and both the inside and outside are sealed with a paste made of glutinous rice juice, lime, and tung oil to prevent fire and moisture; the roof is covered with glazed tiles and three layers of tarpaulin underneath to protect against torrential rain. The granary is full of traps and guarded day and night by elite soldiers from the Beijing Garrison and agents from the Eastern and Western Depots. Not even a rat can get in! This granary is not under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue, nor under the jurisdiction of Tianjin Garrison, but is responsible only to me!"

"Hengjiu, this large granary, and the dozen or so forward warehouses in the south; this maritime lifeline that is about to be opened; these three million shi of grain, and even more than ten million shi in the future; these maritime merchants, whether openly or secretly, have been tied to my war chariot... all of this!"

As the emperor finished speaking, he turned around, his eyes shining with an alarming intensity.

"From this day forward, for the next year, and even for several years, they will be entirely under your, and only you, control!"

"I am entrusting this key, which is enough to turn the tide of the Ming Dynasty, into your hands!"

After he finished speaking, the entire warm pavilion fell into a deathly silence.

Hong Chengchou stood there in a daze, looking at the emperor, at that young yet deep and unfathomable face, at those eyes burning with an indomitable flame.

Why would the emperor risk disrupting his already effective plans to urgently recall him from the gentle and wealthy land of Zhejiang?

Because, although the treasure trove in Zhejiang can generate wealth for the national treasury, it is nothing more than a small gain compared to the grand scheme before us, which uses heaven and earth as a chessboard and the four seas as chess pieces, and seeks to defy fate!

What the emperor needs is not an accountant who makes money for him from the rear.

What he needs is a commander who can stand at the forefront of resisting natural disasters and turn his completely unbelievable plan into reality!
This burden is too heavy! Too heavy!
Heavy enough to break anyone's spine!

However, at this moment, Hong Chengchou felt no fear whatsoever, but rather an unprecedented surge of pride!
To be able to embark on such an unprecedented undertaking alongside such a mighty ruler, even if I were to perish, what regret would I have in this life?!
"thump!"

Hong Chengchou's knees buckled, and he resolutely knelt down on the ground!
This time, he did not refer to himself as a guilty subject, nor did he offer any excuses.

He straightened his back, clasped his hands together, raised them above his head, and performed a solemn salute to the emperor before him!

His voice was no longer hoarse or trembling, but was filled with the resounding clang of metal and the determination to die!

"Your subject, Hong Chengchou, obeys the decree!"

"Your Majesty commands, and I will gladly die for you! If I cannot defend the north for Your Majesty and preserve the vitality of the Ming Dynasty, I am willing to offer my head in return!"

There are no fancy words, no empty promises, only this most simple, yet most profound commitment.

Looking at Hong Chengchou, who was prostrate at his feet as if he had sacrificed everything for this unknown gamble, Zhu Youjian took a deep breath and finally exhaled the pent-up anger in his chest.

A sense of helplessness welled up in his heart.

If it weren't for the unprecedented calamity that awaits next year, wouldn't he have also wished to let Hong Chengchou manage Zhejiang for several more years, completely transforming that wealthy land in the southeast into the most secure treasury of the Ming Dynasty? But... time waits for no one!
His sharp gaze seemed to pierce through Hong Chengchou in front of him and see two other figures.

Sun Chuanting is a seasoned and prudent advisor to the state, a true minister of state. He is currently on the right path, but in such a treacherous situation, he may lack the ruthlessness to adapt to change.

Lu Xiang-sheng was exceptionally loyal and brave, a natural-born general. When it came to charging into battle, suppressing bandits, and quelling rebellions, he was undoubtedly an unparalleled sword in his hands. However, while he excelled in battlefield combat, he might not have been as adept at strategic planning, such as harmonizing the overall situation and acting swiftly and decisively in silence.

Only Hong Chengchou before my eyes...

Zhu Youjian's gaze sharpened again.

This man is able to understand the heart of a sage and see through the ways of the devil; he possesses both worldly wisdom and the courage of a butcher! His heart is as firm as ten-thousand-year-old ice; his actions are as swift as thunder from the heavens!

Such a heaven-defying, life-or-death mission requires more than just loyalty and talent; it demands an unwavering determination and ruthlessness that disregards praise or blame, spares no expense, and uses any means necessary!
This burden can only be borne by him, no one else can!

Thinking of this, Zhu Youjian's last trace of hesitation vanished, leaving only the cold and resolute determination befitting a monarch.

The wind and snow continued to howl outside the window.

Within this warm pavilion, the emperor and his minister had already plucked the invisible string that bound the fate of the empire!
(End of this chapter)