Zhao Yao received replies from his grandfather and uncle.
His grandfather said that he would send people to Soochow to hire craftsmen who could build sea-going ships, and then send them to Qingzhou. He will also help Zhao Yao recruit other maritime personnel, such as crew members, captains, escorts, etc.
As long as Zhao Yao wants something, Liang Shuren, his grandfather, will prepare it for him, and the preparations will be very complete, so that he does not have to worry about these things.
When his uncle learned that Zhao Yao wanted to form a maritime fleet to do business in foreign countries, he was naturally very supportive, but the sea was banned in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Dazhou's fleet cannot go to overseas foreign countries to do business, so Zhao Yao's idea cannot be realized for the time being.
Qingzhou allows fleets from overseas foreign countries to do business in Dazhou, but they are only allowed in Qingzhou and not in other places. People from these overseas countries can only wander around Qingzhou and cannot leave Qingzhou. Also, they can only do business in Qingzhou and cannot do other things. If they violated the laws of the Zhou Dynasty in Qingzhou, they would not be spared lightly.
His uncle also wrote in the letter that he had some information about the things he had asked him to look for before. Some time ago, someone from an overseas fleet who often came to Qingzhou for business told him that a friend of his seemed to have seen these things far away.
This far away place is called Mixi'er, thousands of miles away from Dazhou. It is said that the sea there is very big and dangerous, and there are often monster winds blowing on the sea, making it difficult for a fleet to reach Michel successfully.
In their country, only very experienced fleets dare to go to Michel, but sometimes they may not be able to come back safely. However, his friend had better luck. This time he went to Michele and encountered a sea monster wind, but he came back safely.
He took out some things painted by Uncle Zhao Yao and asked his friends if they had seen such things. His friend often goes to sea and has been to many places and is more knowledgeable than him, so he specifically asked his friend.
His friend said that he seemed to have seen him in Michele before, but he was not sure whether it was true or not. When he goes to Michele again in the future, his friend will confirm it carefully. If so, his friend will bring some back.
When Zhao Yao saw this, he exclaimed in surprise: "That's great!"
Liang Zhaoyi is looking through the letters left by Concubine Pei, trying to find any clues about the Pei family's treasure. She heard Zhao Yao shouting with joy and asked with a smile: "What did your uncle write that made you so happy?"
Zhao Yao handed the letter in his hand to Liang Zhaoyi and said excitedly: "Mother, look, the uncle said that the foreigners he knew said that his friends had seen potatoes, sweet potatoes and other things in Mixi'er."
"Is it true?" Liang Zhaoyi's face was full of surprise. She immediately lowered her head and read the letter seriously, and found that it was really like this. "Do you think the things they saw in Michelle were really the potatoes and sweet potatoes you mentioned?"
"I think it's true." Zhao Yao was now full of joy. "The foreigner will go to Mixi'er next spring and bring back some sweet potatoes and potatoes. Then we can plant them."
"If it's true, that would be really great."
"Mother, do you know the country Michelle?"
"I don't know, I've never heard of it." Liang Zhaoyi thought for a while and said, "Maybe there are books about Michel in Lanyuan Pavilion. You can go look for it."
"Then I'll look for it tomorrow." Zhao Yao asked again, "There should be books from other foreign countries in Lanyuan Pavilion, right?"
"There should be some left over from the previous dynasty," Liang Zhaoyi said, "I remember that Siam, Pyu, Johor and other foreign countries had contacts with the previous dynasty."
After hearing this, Zhao Yao looked surprised and said: "I didn't expect that the previous dynasty was quite capable and had contacts with so many foreign countries."
Liang Zhaoyi was amused by Zhao Yao's words: "The first and middle periods of the previous dynasty were still very good, and they were considered prosperous times. It's just that the kings in the middle and later periods began to indulge in pleasure."
Zhao Yao asked again: "During the previous dynasty, did these countries come to pay tribute?"
"It was a friendly exchange, not a tribute." Liang Zhaoyi had read books on this subject. "The previous dynasty did not fight against these foreign countries."
"Wait a minute, didn't it mean that the forbidden sea started from the previous dynasty?" Zhao Yao asked, grabbing a key point, "During the previous dynasty, how could there be foreign countries from overseas?"
"The previous dynasty began to ban the sea in the middle and late period. At that time, pirates were rampant and the people on the seaside were miserable. The emperor at that time directly issued an order to ban the sea." Liang Zhaoyi sighed lightly, "The main reason is that the previous dynasty at that time did not have any Ability to fight pirates.”
"This is in line with my impression of the previous dynasty." Zhao Yao asked, "Mother and concubine, do you think my father will agree to abolish the maritime ban?"
"I'm afraid it won't work for the time being. There is still no complete peace in the Great Zhou Dynasty." After listening to Zhao Yao's previous plan for maritime trade, Liang Zhaoyi felt that this was a very profitable plan. "Only when the Great Zhou Dynasty is completely at peace will your father be interested in doing other things."
Zhao Yao thought about it and felt that it was the case. At present, the Great Zhou Dynasty was not completely at peace, so how could his father and ministers have the time to care about matters at sea.
"Mother, do you think there will be complete peace in the Zhou Dynasty within three years?"
"Yes, the world will definitely be at peace within three years."
Zhao Yao scratched his face and said, "Oh, we still have to wait three years."
"Even if your father abolishes the sea ban now, your fleet can't go to sea immediately." Liang Zhaoyi looked at her son's eager look and said with a smile, "Your fleet doesn't even have a sea-going ship now, why?" Going overseas to trade?”
"Yes, these three years just give me time to prepare to build a fleet." Zhao Yao took the letter from Liang Zhaoyi and continued to read.
Zhao Yao's uncle also wrote in the letter that he had established good relations with all the forces in Qingzhou.
Although Qingzhou is located on the seaside and is the smallest state among all the states, because foreigners often come to Qingzhou to trade, the imperial court's management of Qingzhou is still very strict, and there is no situation where no one is in charge.
The Great Zhou Dynasty would never allow overseas foreigners to cause trouble in Qingzhou, nor would it allow officials and people in Qingzhou to collude with overseas foreigners for profit.
"Mother, why can't the eldest uncle send things from overseas to the capital for sale like the second uncle did?" Zhao Yao had not thought of this before, but now he finally realized it.
"Because officials or people are prohibited from secretly selling overseas foreign goods." Liang Zhaoyi explained, "Actually, it is the Qingzhou Yamen who have been doing business with overseas foreigners, not the people of Qingzhou. Of course, the people of Qingzhou can trade with foreigners. Trade, but only small things are allowed.”
"Father is really cunning."
Liang Zhaoyi raised her hand and tapped Zhao Yao's little head, "Have you ever said that about your father?"
Zhao Yao smiled coquettishly, said nothing, and continued to read his uncle's letter. His uncle mentioned in the letter that Qingzhou has a place dedicated to building sea-going ships and there are many experienced crew members. He will ask the best masters in Qingzhou to build sea ships, and he will also ask the most experienced crew members in Qingzhou to be Zhao Yao's crew. In short, he will help Zhao Yao set up a fleet in Qingzhou.
"Uncle is really reliable." Zhao Yao said with a smile, "Second uncle and grandfather are also very reliable." Second uncle and the others always felt that they could not help him with anything, let alone help him fight for the position, but the thing he asked them to help, They did it all, and did it very well.
"Well, they're pretty reliable."
"I don't need to worry about the fleet. I'll just wait for my uncle to come back." Zhao Yao read his uncle's letter and quickly wrote a reply.
"When will your second uncle and the others come back?" Liang Zhaoyi asked.
"According to the original plan, the second uncle and the others will stay in Wusun for more than three months, and they will leave from Wusun in September." Zhao Yao said, "However, if the second uncle and the others buy too many things, the second uncle should come back early. , the others will stay in Wusun."
Liang Zhaoyi frowned slightly, with a worried look on her face: "I bought too many things, will it be unsafe on the way back to Beijing?"
"The second uncle will definitely ask the escort agency to escort him." Zhao Yao said, "I hope the second uncle can come back soon. I am still waiting for the second uncle to buy me a golden eagle or a sea turtle."
While he was talking, Guixing stood at the door of the study and knocked on the door.
"Your Majesty, your Majesty, I asked the kitchen to stew mung bean soup."
"come in."
"Yes, concubine."
Guixing walked in with two bowls of mung bean soup, "Empress, Your Highness, the mung bean soup has gone cold. It's time to drink."
"Didn't you use ice?"
"Your Highness, drinking ice-cold mung bean soup so late will hurt your stomach and body."
Zhao Yao pouted and said, "On such a hot day, I need to drink something iced."
"Your Highness, if you drink iced soup at night, you will definitely have a stomachache."
Zhao Yao puffed up his face, said nothing, and drank the cold mung bean soup obediently.
"Just now, the imperial concubine sent someone to Changle Palace to invite the emperor, saying that the imperial concubine is ill."
When Zhao Yao heard what Guixing said, he complained unceremoniously: "How many times has this happened? The third time, right?" Since Qin Xiulian entered the palace, Concubine Rong's body has become very delicate. I get sick once in a while. "Has your father gone?"
"The emperor didn't go, so Eunuch Sun went."
"Concubine Rong's wishful thinking has failed again." When Concubine Rong first claimed that she was ill, her father went to see her. But later, Concubine Rong fell ill again, and the father never visited her again. It seems that Concubine Rong's previous illness was fake. "What's the point of her doing this? It will only make the father angry." This method of fighting for favor is too low-level.
"She just won't give in." Concubine Rong's thoughts were easy to guess. "Now the former harem is saying that she has fallen out of favor."
"Isn't it true?" Zhao Yao said, "Ever since the British concubine entered the palace, my father has been going to Changle Palace every day. Speaking of which, my father hasn't been to Yongxin Palace for a long time."
"Your father is angry with Concubine Rong, not because he dislikes Concubine Rong." Liang Zhaoyi said meaningfully, "Concubine Rong has not really fallen out of favor."
When Guixing and Zhao Yao heard this, they both looked shocked.
"Didn't she fall out of favor? But the emperor hasn't seen Concubine Rong for almost a month. This is the first time." Guixing said in disbelief, "Concubine Rong has never been so coldly treated by the emperor. In the past, no matter what Concubine Rong did wrong, Whatever happened, the emperor would be angry with Concubine Rong for at least three days, and after three days the emperor would reconcile with Concubine Rong."
"This shows that the emperor is very angry with Concubine Rong." Liang Zhaoyi thought that Zhao Yao almost died under the sword of the assassin sent by Concubine Rong, and a cold light flashed in her eyes.
"Concubine Rong sent someone to assassinate Concubine Ying. Isn't it right for the father to be angry?" Zhao Yao was frightened when he thought of the assassination that day. If the secret guard hadn't suddenly appeared, I'm afraid he would have been killed and silenced by the assassins sent by Concubine Rong. "Such a blatant assassination is too arrogant and domineering. If my father continues to indulge Concubine Rong like before, it will only make Concubine Rong more and more wanton. My father is right to ignore Concubine Rong now."
Liang Zhaoyi said in her heart: The emperor snubbed Concubine Rong not because she sent people to assassinate Concubine Ying.
I got stuck, and it took me a while to write a chapter.
There should be another chapter tonight.
(End of chapter)
