Humph,
Jiajing let out a dismissive snort, but inwardly, he was deeply worried—
Who could understand those defeated noble officials from the Jingnan campaign better than he? For decades, they had been secretly causing trouble. At its core, they were dissatisfied with the founding principles of the Grand Ancestor and the Progenitor. In their bones, they were the same as Li Dongyang, Yang Tinghe, and Yan Song...
These people had been entrenched in Yunnan and Guizhou for nearly two centuries. Zhu Mo, on the other hand, was still a young man, bold as a newborn calf. If pushed too far, these people might truly dare to kill him.
Thinking of this,
He suddenly felt annoyed and said,
"Even if I gave them the courage, they wouldn't dare! But then again, it's better to be safe than sorry... How about this, Lü Fang, have the Grand Secretariat issue an imperial edict to Mu Chaobi, asking him if the heir of the Duke of Qian has been chosen yet? Is it the eldest or the second? Tell him to report it... Also, the descendants of the Marquis of Wuding have invited someone to write a 'Biographies of Heroes.' Mu Ying's stories haven't been proofread yet. Tell him to write a detailed account of those as well, and compile them into a book..."
Hiss!
His Majesty is brilliant!
Lü Fang, after a moment's thought, immediately understood—
His Majesty was afraid that he would harm Zhu Mo, and this was a way to appease him... No matter how much Zhu Mo disagreed with him in Yunnan and Guizhou, no matter how much Mu Chaobi had colluded with Yan Shifan over the years, His Majesty, considering Mu Ying's merits, would not mistreat the Mu family. By giving him a reassurance, he was telling him not to overthink things...
Lü Fang couldn't help but sigh, and he felt that this matter was quite urgent. If it were even a step too late, and Mu Chaobi harmed Zhu Mo, that would truly be an irreversible disaster.
He immediately said,
"Your Majesty, this servant will draft the edict now and send it out via express delivery tomorrow morning?"
Jiajing nodded, waved his horsetail whisk, and closed his eyes again.
...
Prince Yu's Estate,
Besides Xu Jie, Li Chunfang, and Tan Lun, Zhao Zhenji was also present tonight. He had returned to report on his duties. Since the defeat at Taizhou, he had become the Governor of Jiangsu. Through extensive efforts, he had stabilized the situation, allowing Qi Jiguang's defeated troops to regroup, earning him high praise from both the court and the public. This time, Zhang Han was planning the maritime transport of grain tribute, and Jiangsu had received a formal inquiry. Zhao Zhenji, considering the gravity of the matter, personally reported to Prince Yu.
Furthermore,
In the past few days, the Grand Secretariat had also received military dispatches from Yunnan and Guizhou. Mang Yinglong's sudden dispatch of a large army had caught everyone by surprise. Even Yan Shifan had been startled that day, shattering his teacup. Although the situation was extremely serious, distant water could not quench immediate thirst. After much discussion, they could only make preparations for a potential defeat, which mainly involved having several generals present their strategies and having the Ministry of Revenue prepare for the mobilization of grain and fodder. In reality, they all knew that even if they were to fight back, it would be months or even half a year later. While the current situation was disheartening, there was nothing they could do about it...
Moreover, from another perspective, Zhu Mo's rampant behavior, though a national crisis, could also be seen as turning misfortune into a blessing if it weakened him. When Prince Yu selected good generals and made thorough preparations, retaking the territories occupied by Mang Yinglong in one fell swoop would turn the crisis into safety.
After reviewing the matters, Zhao Zhenji, seeing no resolution, urged, "Your Highness, Esteemed Teacher, Zhang Han has asked me whether I support the maritime transport of grain tribute. How should I respond?"
At this time,
Prince Yu was somewhat hesitant, not because of the feasibility of the maritime transport of grain tribute, but because he was worried that this move would permanently solve the problem of grain shortage in the north. This would be another indelible achievement for Zhu Mo and Zhang Juzheng, making it difficult for him to hold his head up before the Emperor.
What's more, the crux of the maritime transport of grain tribute lay not in the transport itself, but in the grain market. Zhang Juzheng, Zhu Mo, and Zhang Han were already planning a "domestic and foreign grain market" in Hangzhou, where grain from Korea, Japan, Annan, Jinluo, and Ryukyu could be transported to Hangzhou. The Grand Supervisor of Grain Transport would purchase a portion of grain in the market annually in addition to his regular collection of grain tribute, naturally attracting grain merchants from various countries.
However, in this case, the grain transport garrisons would become even more useless, and Tan Lun, as the Grand Supervisor of Grain Transport Military Affairs, would become a laughingstock. Consider this: if maritime transport and procurement were in place, and the collection and canal status of grain tribute declined, what weight would this Supervisor of Grain Transport have?
After pondering for a while, Prince Yu said,
"Mengjing, in my opinion, does the so-called 'domestic and foreign grain market' necessarily have to be located in Hangzhou? Jiangsu also has many excellent ports by the rivers and sea, such as Liujia Port, which was a major port in the Yongle era. Many foreigners from overseas are aware of it. Why not establish it here? Have you considered this?"
Zhao Zhenji cleared his throat and said,
"Your Highness, I have also written to Taizhong, but it is still quite difficult to handle... Firstly, Japan is a major player in the rice market. Two months ago, the newly emerging province of Owari sent merchants to transport a large quantity of rice for sale, which immediately stabilized grain prices and avoided famine in a year of severe hardship, much to the delight of the officials and the people. Secondly, the maritime transport of grain tribute requires naval escort. Currently, the Ming Dynasty only has the Fujian Navy. The officers and generals under Yu Dayou claim to be awaiting imperial orders. Moreover, although the Japanese pirates have been suppressed, they could resurface at any time, and remnants still occupy the sea. The navy is busy suppressing bandits... Therefore, I cannot force them."
Hmm,
Upon hearing this, everyone naturally understood the implication—
Had Oda Nobunaga and Zhu Mo completed some kind of transaction? Perhaps the rumors were true: Zhu Mo gave him some firearms, and in return, he would transport a certain amount of grain each year at a very low price... With the establishment of the domestic and foreign grain market and Japan as a major supplier, it would naturally be able to sustain itself. In such a situation, it would be difficult for anyone to interfere.
Xu Jie, being well aware of all these circumstances, was surprised when he suddenly heard him say, "Japanese pirates could resurface at any time."
He immediately asked in surprise,
"Mengjing, did I hear you correctly? Did you just say that Japanese pirates could resurface at any time?"
Everyone else also reacted at this moment, staring at Zhao Zhenji with wide eyes.
Zhao Zhenji said,
"Your Highness, Esteemed Teacher, Grand Secretary Li, Zili, I have also sent merchants to the Osaka rice market in Japan. Although they did not achieve anything, they heard an extraordinary piece of news. After several verifications, it is very likely true...
Um, that Oda Nobunaga might be finished. More than a dozen feudal lords in Japan have joined forces, vowing to conquer Owari and reclaim Kyushu... Since Oda has banned ronin from going to sea to become pirates, and has given them land to grow grain, how can many ronin who are accustomed to the profits of sea bandits become farmers again? Therefore, they repeatedly escape to the sea to become bandits. Although Oda has tried his best to pursue them, he is helpless. Merchants from various countries say that if Oda is defeated, the world will once again fall apart, and after the six states of Kyushu are restored, they will lead a large army to fight against the Great Ming for revenge..."
Ah?
Is there such a thing?
Everyone looked at each other in consternation.
Tan Lun asked curiously,
"Mengjing, isn't Yu Dayou currently suppressing Japanese pirates in the southern provinces of Korea? Our Great Ming Navy is rampant in the East China Sea, and they have suffered repeated defeats. Moreover, the Portuguese have been driven away, and the source has been eliminated. How can hostilities reignite?"
Zhao Zhenji sighed,
"Zili, that's how things are... Japan has been in turmoil for a hundred years, akin to the Warring States period. No one has the ability of the First Emperor. Now, all the feudal lords say that Oda Nobunaga is supported by the Great Ming and want to put him to death. Oda, although somewhat capable, cannot fight against so many opponents!
And those Kyushu ronin, who were originally sea bandits, engaging in private trade and bodyguarding, earning immense profits, how could they be willing to return to farming? Although our Fujian Navy is strong, it currently has less than two hundred ships. Who are these Japanese pirates? They are all fierce bandits... These people will not give up until they hit the Yellow River!"
Oh...
Xu Jie's mouth fell open, and he murmured, "How can this be? How can this be..."
Prince Yu asked,
"Then where is Yu Dayou now? Why don't we send troops to suppress them again?"
This question,
Everyone also became curious—
It had been nearly three months, why was there still no news?
Among those present,
Tan Lun, who loved reading military books in his youth and had participated in military affairs during the resistance against Japanese pirates in Jiangnan, suddenly had a thought: Could Yu Dayou be pursuing the Portuguese in the South China Sea? Otherwise, why would Zhu Mo go to central Myanmar again? Could it be that the two had planned this long ago?
Thinking of this,
He exclaimed in surprise and blurted out,
"Your Highness, Yu Dayou is in Malacca!"
Hiss!
Hiss!
As soon as this was said, everyone finally understood—
So Zhu Mo indeed had a plan from the beginning!
He most likely sent the navy to Malacca to threaten the Portuguese, and then he entered from Yunnan, leading the guards to quell those rebellious chieftains, and might even have forced Mang Yinglong to sign a peace treaty under duress!
Prince Yu suddenly realized, and murmured, "No wonder, no wonder. How could he dare to go with only three hundred firearms..."