Time passed by and soon it was time for a cabinet meeting.
Forbidden City, Hall of Nourishing Heart.
In the early morning, Jiajing put on his robe under the care of his personal eunuch. Just as he was sitting by the desk, studying the secret book of formations, a eunuch came to report.
"Your Majesty, Eunuch Lu wishes to see you."
"Oh, so early? Let him in."
Jiajing was a little surprised by this, and then ordered.
"Slave, please see Your Majesty!"
I saw Lu Fang hurried to the Yangxin Hall and said respectfully.
"Lu Fang, you look so hurried, do you have anything to report to me?"
Jiajing noticed the eagerness on Lu Fang's face, raised his eyebrows, and asked.
"Your Majesty, here is the confession of the Japanese pirate leader Wang Zhi. Due to the busy schedule, I forgot about this! Your Majesty, please forgive me."
After Lu Fang finished speaking, he knelt on the ground and raised the confession in his hand high above his head.
Jiajing was not in a hurry to take over the confession, but turned to Lu Fang and asked.
"Lu Fang, have you read the content?"
"Your Majesty, this servant has not seen it yet."
Lu Fang saw Jiajing asking questions and immediately responded respectfully.
"If I remember correctly, Wang Zhi arrived in the capital with the thirteen million taels of silver seized by Hu Zongxian, right?"
Jiajing nodded, then took the confession from Lu Fang and asked.
"Your Majesty, that's exactly what happened. The thirteen million taels of silver have already been transported to the treasury!"
When Lu Fang heard what Jiajing said, she couldn't help but sigh in her heart, Your Majesty has such a good memory!
"Well, let me see, what did Wang Zhi say?"
After Jiajing finished speaking, he put aside the secret book in his hand and opened Wang Zhi's confession.
After a long time, Jiajing finished reading the contents and threw it aside casually.
"The content of this is quite interesting. This Wang Zhi has been entrenched in Kyushu, Japan for a long time. In order to gain support, while giving up his territory to those Hongyi people for management, he actually converted to paganism!"
"Otomo Zonglin, wait for me! After my navy is completed, I will do the surgery on you first."
Jiajing secretly made up his mind and then raised his head from the desk.
The Otomo Zonglin whom he had just mentioned was a daimyo from Kyushu, Japan. He admired Wang Zhi quite a lot and provided him with a lot of help.
"Your Majesty, are the Hongyi people you just mentioned those people with blue eyes, white skin, and brown or red hair?"
Seeing Jiajing raise his head from the desk, Lu Fang couldn't restrain his curiosity and asked immediately.
"Oh, Lu Fang, have you ever seen these Hongyi people?"
When Jiajing heard this, he couldn't help but show curiosity on his face.
"Your Majesty, there is such a group of Red Yi people living in the Haojing area under the rule of Guangdong! The former slave's godson Yang Jinshui often dealt with these Hong Yi people."
Seeing Jiajing's question, Lu Fang subconsciously replied. After he finished speaking, she suddenly realized that she had mentioned Yang Jinshui's name in front of His Majesty. She immediately knelt on the ground in fear and apologized to Jiajing.
"Your Majesty, this slave deserves to die! This slave said something wrong for a moment, please punish me."
"It's okay. I don't mean to blame you. The incident with Yang Jinshui is over. Let's continue talking."
Jiajing glanced at Lu Fang who was kneeling on the ground and said softly.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey!"
Seeing that Jiajing did not intend to pursue the matter, Lu Fang immediately breathed a sigh of relief, then stood up from the ground and continued.
"Those Hongyi people are quite peaceful now! Although they were not so obedient at first, since the local government sent people to negotiate several times, those Hongyi people no longer dare to make any mistakes again."
After patiently listening to Lu Fang's story, Jiajing was extremely convinced that these Hongyi people living in the Haojing area were the Portuguese in later generations! And Hao Jing, in later generations, had a unique name, Macao.
"These Portuguese people actually dare to stay here and not leave. I will send a navy to come over in the future and send you to the sky together!"
After hearing Lu Fang's description, Jiajing immediately grimaced and gritted his teeth.
Because the voice was not loud, Lu Fang did not hear clearly what Jiajing was saying.
"Your Majesty, what were you talking about just now?"
When Lu Fang saw this, she couldn't help but worry.
"It's okay, it's just some irrelevant words."
Jiajing waved his hand and dismissed the matter.
"Oh, all right."
Lu Fang didn't doubt that he was there and quickly felt relieved.
"Lu Fang, go and inform the local government. No, send the Jinyi Guards there! We must closely monitor this group of Hongyi people and try to find out as much information as possible from them."
After Jiajing finished speaking, he stood up, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and ordered.
"Your Majesty, I don't quite understand. This group of Hongyi people have always been very obedient. They do whatever the local government tells them to do, and they don't dare to complain at all!"
"And these Hongyi people also contribute to the local government's annual corvee. For this reason, many Hongyi people have died from exhaustion!"
"Are these Hongyi people harboring evil intentions?"
Seeing that Lu Fang was curious about the reason, Jiajing was in trouble for a while.
There was no way he could tell Lu Fang that this group of red barbarians were the Portuguese colonists who would invade Macau in the future!
Occasionally, Jiajing glanced at Wang Zhi's confession, which he had thrown aside, and had an idea in his mind.
"The Japanese pirate leader Wang Zhi confessed in his confession that this group of Hongyi people living in the Haojing area had sold him cannons and secretly funded him."
"What your Majesty means is that these Hongyi people are in contact with the Japanese!"
After hearing Jiajing's words, Lu Fang's face was full of horror and she couldn't help but open her mouth.
"Well, yes, these Hongyi people are familiar with the Japanese!"
"Not only that, the Japanese pirate leader Wang Zhi also accepted their money, and this group of red barbarians came from the West and were a proper foreign force! Therefore, I have reason to suspect that the Japanese pirates who were extremely rampant in the coastal areas before were also related to this group of red barbarians. It’s related to the Hongyi people!”
"Perhaps, they are behind everything."
Jiajing nodded, agreeing with Lu Fang's statement, and then added.
"These Hongyi people are really extremely cunning! They actually dare to use such tricks to paralyze the imperial court!"
"On the surface, I work hard, but in fact I secretly trade with the Japanese pirates. I really have sinister intentions! Your Majesty, give me an order and let the imperial army go and destroy them."
After getting the affirmative answer from Jiajing, Lu Fang had a deeper understanding of the insidiousness and cunningness of these Hongyi people.
"Okay, let's talk about this later! It's almost time for the cabinet meeting, let's go."
Jiajing stood up and spoke to Lu Fang.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey."
After Lu Fang finished speaking, she followed Jiajing step by step.
…
Along the way, Lu Fang looked uneasy. He was still immersed in Jiajing's previous words, and felt deeply remorseful for his shallow understanding.
"Does Your Majesty think that I am too stupid to see the little tricks played by the Hongyi people?"
"Just now, I was speaking for those Hongyi people in front of His Majesty. Will it offend His Majesty?"
"Those who are not of my race must have different minds! Lu Fang, Lu Fang, why don't you even understand this truth?"
Jiajing seemed to see what Lu Fang was thinking, and comforted him softly: "Lu Fang, I don't mean to blame you! But I must keep my eyes open in the future and not be blinded by these methods."
Hearing Jiajing's comfort, Lu Fang's heart was wrapped in warmth, and then she lowered her head and said silently to herself: "Lu Fang, you must serve His Majesty well, and don't let down His Majesty's expectations!"
…
"Your Majesty is here!"
Following a high-pitched voice, Jiajing followed Lu Fang and entered the cabinet.
"I bow to your Majesty, long live my emperor!"
Seeing Jiajing come in, Yan Song and others quickly knelt on the ground and saluted respectfully.
After Jiajing sat down in his own place, he nodded and said softly.
"Well, everyone, get up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After Yan Song and others finished speaking, they immediately stood up from the ground, and then sat down in their respective positions.
(End of chapter)
