Fuzhou.

Rain pattered outside the rather modest palace. Far off, in the direction of the sea, lightning flashed and thunder roared. The howling wind and rain made the palace chambers feel like a ship at sea.

Zuo Wenhuai sat on a chair in the middle of the imperial study, discussing a series of matters concerning the southwest with the young emperor before him. Zhou Pei, Cheng Zhouhai, and others were also present.

"...Regarding the development of Gewu (natural philosophy) here, Mr. Ning mentioned it to me before I came, that the southeast is suitable for developing naval vessel technology. The artillery and other weaponry on the battlefield that we brought are sufficient for now. The southeast is advantageously located along the coast and needs to develop commerce. Following this path, the profits from research may be greatest..."

"But naval vessel technology isn't of much use on the battlefield." Zhou Junwu looked at Zuo Wenhuai and smiled. "On the battlefield, artillery and gunpowder are ultimately more reliable. Relying on what Mr. Ning sent, we might defeat Wu Qimei, but if we one day face the Huaxia Army on the battlefield, their artillery, rockets, and other weaponry will have been upgraded several times over in the time we spend researching naval vessels. Wouldn't we just be doing all this for the Huaxia Army?"

"Forgive...this humble subject's frankness." Zuo Wenhuai hesitated for a moment, cupping his hands in salute. "Even if we develop artillery together, the southeast will ultimately not be able to catch up with the Huaxia Army."

He had followed Zuo Xiuwen and a group of young members of the Zuo family from the southwest, traveling thousands of miles to reach Fuzhou, not long ago. In his mind, he still considered himself a soldier of the Huaxia Army, while in his status, he had received official titles and rewards here. He knew that these words might sound blasphemous to everyone present. But fortunately, after he spoke, no one seemed angry.

The graceful Princess Zhou Pei even smiled, "Why is that?"

"The development of Gewu (natural philosophy) has two problems. On the surface, it just looks like Gewu research, investing money and manpower, and having people rack their brains to invent new things. But the deeper issue lies in the popularization of Gewu thinking. It requires researchers and everyone involved in the research to have a clear concept of Gewu, to understand that one is one and two is two, and that the truth will not change according to human will. The researchers directly involved in the work must understand this, and the officials managing them must also understand this. Anyone who doesn't understand will affect efficiency."

Ning Yi had explained Gewu in great detail during his lectures in the southwest, so Zuo Wenhuai was able to speak so fluently now.

"Gewu research and Gewu thinking complement each other. Doing well in research will improve thinking, and improving Gewu thinking will naturally make Gewu research even better. In the Huaxia Army, Mr. Ning has been laying the foundation for Gewu thinking since the Xiaocang River period, and it has taken more than ten years to achieve today's results. If the southeast wants to catch up in these two areas, it will first take several years to fully understand the existing results. After fully understanding them, when doing new things, the test will be of Gewu thinking."

"In the Huaxia Army's more than ten years, they have been desperately doing research and making breakthroughs every day. In this process, the researchers have formed clear methods of comparison, induction, and summarization. Here in the southeast, if you simply copy the existing technology of others, the researchers might take a look, pat their heads, and think they understand, that it's so simple. But when they research new things, they will find that their Gewu thinking is simply not enough."

Zuo Wenhuai paused. "As far as I know, Your Majesty has been imitating and researching hot air balloons and artillery for a long time, things that the Huaxia Army already has, but even copying them is very difficult. Your Majesty has gathered artisans and asked them to use their brains. Whoever comes up with a good idea gets money. But these artisans' ideas are generally just slapping their heads and trying this and that, which is just a matter of luck. But the real research is ultimately about the researchers' ability to compare, induce, and summarize. Of course, Your Majesty has been promoting Gewu for so many years, and some people must have these methodologies, but if you really want to reach the forefront of the world, this kind of thinking ability must also be the best in the world, and you must be 'unfilial' to achieve it; any ambiguity will cause you to fall further behind."

"I like your phrase 'unfilial'," Zhou Junwu said seriously, making it difficult to discern what he was thinking. Zuo Wenhuai looked around and saw that Zhou Pei and Cheng Zhouhai also had solemn expressions, so he stood up and cupped his hands. "Yes...this humble subject was presumptuous."

"It's alright." Junwu smiled and waved his hand. "You studied in the southwest for many years, and it's good to have this straightforward nature. We asked the Zuo family to invite you back because we need these frank principles. From these words, I can see what kind of place the southwest is. Don't change, continue to say why we should research maritime vessels."

"Relying solely on fully understanding existing technology has a limited effect on cultivating Gewu thinking because these researchers easily feel that they have achieved results and can deceive people. Their pressure isn't great enough. It's better to find a field that is more urgently needed here and where the results are easier to verify, and have people do research in that field. For those who can frequently solve problems, it's easier to select them, allowing for survival of the fittest, and promoting the development of correct ways of thinking."

Zuo Wenhuai's words caused Junwu and Zhou Pei in the room to nod. Cheng Zhouhai spoke up, "Our dynasty has always been developing maritime vessel technology. Now that coastal shipping is developed in the southeast, there is no shortage. Mr. Ning's suggestion that we care about maritime vessels is probably not out of good intentions."

"Money is always...scarce, right?" Zuo Wenhuai looked at the others, he was new here and didn't know much about these things, so he spoke somewhat hesitantly. Then he said, "Also, Mr. Ning once said that the ocean is vast, connecting various foreign countries on the one hand, and maritime transport is highly profitable on the other hand. The ocean is also savage. Once you leave the shore, everything depends on yourself. When facing various pirates and enemies, whether the ship is sturdy enough and whether the artillery can shoot a few more inches are all real matters. Therefore, if you want to promote long-term technological progress, the ocean environment may be more crucial than the land."

"Of course, this is...the thinking in the southwest. Mr. Ning is forward-looking. In the past few years, he mentioned the benefits of opening up the sea several times in casual conversations, mostly talking about long-term benefits. Now that Wenhuai has arrived here, the short-term benefits he can think of are nothing more than maritime trade. Raising soldiers is too expensive, while maritime trade is highly profitable. Also, if the ship is better and the artillery is better, you will be better off at sea. I think this principle will never change..."

After Zuo Wenhuai arrived in Fuzhou, Junwu had an audience with him almost every other day. At this time, talking about the ocean was more like a casual chat. He passed the words on and no longer insisted because these kinds of major directions could not be decided with just a few words. And regardless of whether maritime research was developed, the work of copying artillery would definitely be put first, which was something everyone understood.

After chatting for a while longer, the heavy rain gradually stopped, and Cheng Zhouhai escorted him out of the palace. When Cheng Zhouhai returned to the imperial study, Junwu and Zhou Pei, the siblings, were holding teacups and talking in low voices. Cheng Zhouhai saluted, and Junwu waved for him to sit down casually.

"This person from the southwest is offering us advice," Zhou Pei said, then looked at Cheng Zhouhai, "What do you think, is this the thinking of the southwest, or the thinking of the Zuo family...or his own thinking?"

"Ning Yi's thinking is very clear." Cheng Zhouhai smiled. "He can give us artillery, give us Gewu, he can let us defeat others. With his consistent domineering nature, he might even want us to cultivate some research personnel with that Gewu thinking for him so that when he pacifies the world, he can take everything into his own hands. Letting us develop maritime technology, maybe when he attacks, this technology will be his."

"Wenhuai's words also make sense," Junwu said with a smile, holding his teacup. "Gewu thinking is very important. When I built the Gewu Research Institute in Jiangning, I gathered a large group of artisans, supporting them every day, hoping they would make something good. If they had something good, I wouldn't be stingy with rewards, and I even wanted to give them official titles and ranks...This may not be wrong, but with only such methods, those artisans are ultimately relying on luck. It's still necessary for them to have those methods of comparison, summarization, and induction. When he said that, I felt like I had been struck on the head. If I had heard these words earlier, I would have avoided many detours."

He took a sip of tea. The reason for his serious expression might have been that he was reminded of the past when he was in Jiangning with Ning Yi. Unfortunately, he was too young at the time, and Ning Yi couldn't have told him about these complex things. Now that he realized that several years of detours could be resolved with a few words, his mood would inevitably become complicated.

Cheng Zhouhai laughed, "I originally wanted to say that Mr. Ning directly throwing the artillery technology over was a overt conspiracy to prevent us from developing our own Gewu thinking, but thinking about it, it really seems like complaining after getting a good deal."

"The young people of the Zuo family have been taught well, there's no need to make things difficult for him," Zhou Pei said, then frowned, "However, he mentioned maritime transport not without reason. I received news yesterday that the batch of goods that Wu Peiyuan was transporting from Jiangnan West Road was robbed on the way. It's still not known whether it's true or false. Several ships of goods from Guangzhou will now be delayed. From last year to now, many people who originally shouted support for us have now begun to waver. Fujian is originally located in a mountainous and remote area. If they add some obstacles along the way, many things won't be able to be transported in. Without trade, there is no money. Relying on the current commercial tax from maritime trade, we can only last until August."

"The last few times I went out of the palace, I saw that everything outside was still good, prosperous," Junwu muttered while drinking tea.

"You have lifted the sea ban, distributed land, encouraged agriculture, and encouraged commerce. Of course, the common people in Fuzhou are doing well. But the original large families don't rely on doing small business in Fuzhou, buying some snacks and pancakes to live on. In the past, they had people outside, had relationships in the army, so they used their convenience to transport things out of Fuzhou and transport things from outside Fuzhou in. Now that we have taken away most of the power, those who have lost power have gone to do business elsewhere. When the water is too clear, there are no fish. Can we rely on those who sell pancakes and those who farm to transport things out?"

"You have done many things that cost money this year," Zhou Pei counted on her fingers. "Keeping Han and Yue's armies outside, running military academies, letting those generals come to learn, running newspapers, expanding the Gewu Research Institute, conducting population and land surveys, building ordnance workshops...This time, the things from the southwest are coming, and you want to expand the Gewu Institute again. There's no money to expand, so you can only adjust slowly..."

Zhou Pei's nagging wasn't the first time. Since the new Fuzhou court made its intention to "revere the king and expel the barbarians" clear, the actions of a large number of Wu Dynasty clans who originally stood on Junwu's side were slowly changing. Admonitions against the policy of "ruling the world with the scholar-officials" were constantly being brought up, and the old ministers in the court subtly hoped that Junwu could change his mind.

Outside, some old Confucian scholars who were originally loyal to the Wu Dynasty and had spared no effort to support Fuzhou stopped their actions, and some teams transporting supplies were facing risks halfway. No one directly opposed Junwu, but these large families located along the transportation routes only slightly relaxed their suppression of nearby mountain bandits and horse gangs. Fujian was originally a mountainous and rugged place, and the result was a continuous reduction in commercial transportation power.

People were waiting for Junwu to regret and turn back. Junwu, Zhou Pei, and others also understood that as long as he stopped this tendency to centralize power, the original loyal subjects of the Wu Dynasty would also gradually take actions to support him - at least better than supporting Wu Qimei.

Junwu looked at the map on the wall of the study. The territory he actually owned was not large, from Changxi (Xiapu) in the north to Quanzhou in the south. Many places to the south nominally belonged to him, but in reality, they were watching and wavering. The two sides maintained superficial harmony, occasionally sending some supplies. Junwu temporarily did not continue to use troops to the south.

The power of the small court in Lin'an was now gathered in the Yongjia (Wenzhou) area north of Changxi, and a large number of fortifications were built to prevent Junwu from advancing north, and coastal defense was also strengthened. This was the clearest conflict line between the two sides. In theory, since Junwu claimed to be the legitimate successor, it was impossible for him to shrink back in Fuzhou all day long. Sooner or later, he would have to choose to attack Yongjia and then return north to Lin'an.

"Will we have money if we take Yongjia?"

"It will be better outside the mountains, but it's still controlled by Wu Qimei, Tie Yan, and others, so we will have to take them down sooner or later."

"After taking them down, the next step is to fight the Fair Party." Junwu looked at the map. "He Wen's side, still unwilling to talk?"

The study fell silent.

"...I recently talked to General Yue. Fuzhou has just taken root, and there are not many artillery pieces for the time being, but it doesn't matter much. According to Han and Yue, if we go all out, we can barely take Wu and Tie's million-strong army, but once we advance north and break out of the mountains in the southeast, we have to be prepared to fight a series of major battles...If we can take back Lin'an, perhaps there will be some turning point, but looking at the current momentum of the Fair Party, I am afraid they will not stop for a while."

When Junwu said this, Zhou Pei said, "You are already the emperor, and everyone is watching what we do now. If we keep hiding in the southeast and are slow to go north, then I am afraid that people's hearts will also change."

"Going north, finishing the battle of Lin'an, and then fighting He Wen, and calling for all the hearts of the world to return, I think so too. But no matter how I think about it, I always feel that the troops, especially this year, the changes of the Fair Party in Jiangnan, are different from past peasant uprisings and religious rebellions. It uses the methods passed down by Mr. Ning from the southwest, but why doesn't Mr. Ning use methods that can reach this level in one year? I think such violent means cannot be controlled by the ability of a superman, and cannot last long without the right time, place, and people. It will go wrong sooner or later. I cannot crash into it when it is burning the most fiercely."

"Since ancient times, which emperor has been afraid of rebellion..."

"We only have a few cities, so we forget the previous vast territory and think of ourselves as a small emperor in the southeast, slowly expanding the territory." Junwu smiled, he looked up at the map and did not move away for a long time.

"Maritime Trade..."

He murmured.

...

The time was already summer in Fuzhou, the sea breeze came and went, and there were a few more thunderstorms. The scene in Fuzhou City was changing vigorously.

After the little emperor showed a political tendency to revere the king and expel the barbarians, many large-scale commercial trade operations that were originally to be sent to Fuzhou were stopped, but the increase in the scale of commerce after the original coastal ports became the core of the regime offset such signs. Various reforms gathered the hearts of the people at the bottom and the hearts of the scholars at the bottom, and with the coming and going of ships, the scene on the streets always made people feel vibrant.

In mid-May, about twenty days after the arrival of the southwest Huaxia Army group, some complex atmosphere was gathering in the city.

It was a starry night, and the waiters in a restaurant called Gaofulou on the east side of Fuzhou City sent away the guests in the building early, re-scrubbed the floor, hung up lanterns, and arranged the environment.

Near Hai time (9-11 pm), a carriage stopped outside the building.

In the largest private room on the top of Gaofulou, a private gathering began to take shape.

The first to arrive was Gao Fulou's owner, Gao Fulai, one of the most famous maritime merchants in Fuzhou. After Gao Fulai, was another large merchant with a fleet, Shang Bingchun.

The third to arrive was a fat man with a white towel wrapped around his head. This man was called Pu An'nan. His ancestors migrated from Arabia, and after several generations of sinicization, he became a rich man with a place in Fuzhou.

The fourth to arrive was an old Confucian scholar with a slightly fat figure, half-white hair, and a calm and arrogant gaze. This was Tian Haoran, the patriarch of the Tian clan, a prominent family in Fuzhou.

After the four people sat down and exchanged a few words, a fifth person was led through a secret passage. This man was tall and well-proportioned, with dark and rough skin. It was obvious at a glance that he was a seaman who often went to sea. This was Wang Yikui, the "Dragon King," the most powerful pirate in the southeast coast.

He silently pulled out the fifth chair by the black round table and sat down.

"Drink tea."

Gao Fulai said.

Wang Yikui picked up the teacup, smelled it, drank it in one gulp, and put it down.

"Let's talk business," Gao Fulai said, "Everyone has heard the recent rumors. A group of brats from the Huaxia Army came and chatted with our new emperor about the richness of the sea. The court is short of money, so they are now planning to develop maritime vessels with all their strength. In the future, they will release two fleets to make money with us. I heard that their ships will be equipped with iron cannons from the southwest...The emperor wants to emphasize maritime transport, and next, our maritime merchants will prosper."

He spoke happy words, but his gaze was cold, and his words were also cold.

The Wu Dynasty valued commerce and did not excessively ban the sea. When the Wu Dynasty still ruled the entire Central Plains, the maritime trade in the southeast was developing well. However, occupying a vast land, the Wu Dynasty court had never officially intervened in maritime trade. As long as taxes were paid, the scholar-officials did not touch the barbaric affairs of the maritime merchants, holding a gentleman's aloofness from the kitchen.

When the Wu Dynasty moved south to Lin'an, the southward shift of the economic center made it easier for Fuzhou and other places to receive various goods, further promoting the development of maritime trade. During this period, of course, some large families noticed this piece of fat and ran over to try to get a share. But the sea was a savage place, and ordinary forces could not unite, making it difficult to penetrate into it. After more than ten years of fighting, until the Jurchens went south again, the Wu Dynasty collapsed.

The maritime merchants here took a positive and upright attitude towards Junwu, Zhou Pei, and others coming to the southeast and conquering Fuzhou, and also donated a large amount of money as military expenses to support the little emperor in fighting north from here. On the one hand, of course, it was to leave a bit of gratitude, and on the other hand, becoming the temporary political center would naturally attract more commercial trade.

But now, the little emperor is preparing to research maritime vessels and maritime trade...

"...This should not be done."

The chubby Pu An'nan put his hands on the table and opened his mouth calmly.