Your Majesty, the countless theories about the Western Ocean are just lies to confuse the public. What is said about the round sky and the earth is the orthodox doctrine. Please take back your sacred mandate to sail to the Western Seas! "
"I second the proposal. Your Majesty, we, the Chinese nation, have the most precious treasures in the world. Let’s not talk about whether there are countless small barbarian countries in the West. Even if there are, why would my noble country go to the West to make friends with all the countries?"
"I also second the proposal. Your Majesty has ordered the Ministry of Household Affairs to collect good wood for shipbuilding, and no one dares to disobey it. In order to revitalize the Jiangnan Navy, I have nothing to say. However, Your Majesty builds ships to sail to the Western Ocean. This is a ridiculous move. I hope Your Majesty will take back your wisdom!"
"I hope Your Majesty will take back the Holy Spirit!"
Li Zheng looked gloomily as most of the civil and military ministers knelt on the ground and begged him to take back the advice that would lead to his death.
"Studying is a good thing, but if you don't seek a deep understanding of reading, you won't be able to use what you learn. Those of you who are in the second class are all people who have read poetry and books, but if you study hard, you will not only harm yourself but also the country! The theory that the sky and the earth are round has been around since ancient times, and the theory that the heaven and the earth are both round has been mentioned by all the famous scholars!”
"The classics of hundreds of schools of thought all have their merits. You only respect the words of Confucianism and ignore the classics of other schools of thought. They claim to respect teachers and Taoism, but in fact they are short-sighted! In the pre-Qin period, hundreds of schools of thought caused disputes among the princes of the world. It has lasted for hundreds of years. The Taoists are quiet and inactive, studying heaven and man, the politicians are wandering around the world, and the Legalists make laws to restrain human nature. I do not deny the Confucian classics. You have been admonishing me for a long time. I ask you, have you done what you have advised me to do, and have you abided by self-discipline?"
"Are there countless foreign countries overseas? If you don't go and see for yourself, who would dare to say whether they exist or not? What you hear is false and what you see is true. You read poems and books and study classics. Why don't you remember this sentence?"
"All the emperors from ancient times to the present can only dominate the mainland. All their fame and hegemony are accomplished on the land, and they rule the world. But whoever rules over the sea, I don't want to look at the ocean and sigh. I not only want to be the overlord on the land, I also want to be the overlord of the ocean. Overlord!"
"If there are really countless kingdoms in the West, and you have bluntly advised me to stop me from expanding my territory for the Great Dragon, and if future generations can prove it, do you know how future generations will insult you?"
"I tell you, you are short-sighted and Confucian scholars are harming the country."
"His Majesty!"
Li Zheng took a deep breath and glanced at the ministers: "To create an unparalleled foundation, he must be the first to do it for the world. It is imperative to go to the Western Ocean. If you dare to advise anyone, go to the Imperial College to reclaim a vegetable field and plant it yourself." , please apply your classic teachings carefully. In order to eat the five grains, you must first work hard on the four bodies!"
The civil and military officials in the court looked at each other, and no one kneeling on the ground dared to speak again to advise.
"My beloved ministers, if there is no memorial, please retreat from the court. The Ministry of Household Affairs will prepare two to three million yuan for the voyage to the West. The Ministry of Industry will not slack off in preparing for the coastal wharves! The voyage to the West will bring ties to all nations and create a precedent for the world. You and I will do the same. So proud!"
"I will respectfully send you off to Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, Uncle Tongyuan has returned in triumph from suppressing bandits in the south of the Yangtze River. He has now arrived outside the Meridian Gate!"
Li Zheng, who was about to walk down, looked towards the palace gate with unconcealable joy on his face.
"Xuan!"
"Uncle Xuantong Yuan came to the palace to pay homage!"
"Uncle Xuantong Yuan came to the palace to pay homage!"
"Uncle Xuantong Yuan came to the palace to pay homage!"
Liu Mingzhi looked at the palace gate and breathed a sigh of relief: "I went on an expedition to suppress the bandits in April last year, and it was already April of the following year when I returned. Time is not forgiving, and the years are ruthless! I have grown one year older!"
Song Qing also sighed with the imperial edict: "I haven't been home for a year, I miss home!"
Hearing the shouts coming from the palace, Liu Mingzhi straightened his official robes and nodded to the generals behind him: "Your Majesty is waiting for us, don't be rude!"
"Got the order!"
"Liu Mingzhi, the commander-in-chief of the bandit suppression team, is here to see Your Majesty!"
"Song Qing, my deputy general for suppressing bandits, is here to see Your Majesty!"
"Cheng Kai, the general who suppressed the bandits from the left, is here to see your majesty."
"The general on the right to suppress the bandits..."
“…..”
"My dear friends, no courtesy!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness!"
Li Zheng looked at Liu Mingzhi's somewhat weathered face and nodded lightly. It had not been a year since he had seen himself, a close minister of the emperor, less immature and more steady.
The battlefield is indeed the most tempering place!
"Your Majesty, your Majesty, Liu Mingzhi, is here to reply to your Majesty's decree. The seals of the commanders of the three armies and the armor and uniforms are here. The imperial envoy's seal is here. Shang Fang's horse-killing sword is here. Please take it back, your majesty!"
Li Zheng smiled lightly and signaled to Zhou Fei. Zhou Fei walked down the steps and took the official robe from Young Master Liu's hand.
At this point, Liu Dashao's reputation as the commander-in-chief of the bandit-suppressing imperial envoy no longer exists!
"Your Majesty, I have been ordered to suppress the bandits for more than a year and one month. During this period, a total of 4,152 rebels were captured, and 6,723 levels of rebel leaders were captured. In this battle, the two guardsmen were killed. There were a total of 513 casualties, both light and heavy, and more than 422 people were killed in the battle! The details of the incident will be stated in the memorial and please be read by Your Majesty!"
"Okay, present it!"
"Your Majesty, I have been ordered to lead the imperial envoy to inspect the case of missing tax and silver. Among them, there are dozens of officials involved, a total of 6.23 million taels of gold and silver. There are eight provincial governors, and the rest of the officials, big and small, are here. He is being held in Jiangnan Mansion, awaiting trial at the Dali Temple of the Ministry of Punishment! The specific process will be stated in detail in the memorial, please ask your Majesty to read it!"
Li Zheng's expression changed and he retracted his smile: "Send it over!"
"yes!"
Li Zheng sat on the dragon table and carefully read through the two memorials presented by Liu Mingzhi. His face sometimes turned blue and sometimes purple, which made the civil and military ministers below him tremble with fear from time to time.
When the incense stick was half full, Li Zheng put down the memorial in his hand with a gloomy face: "Liu Aiqing, come with me to the palace!"
"I obey!"
Suddenly, a fine colored glazed official kiln teacup fell to pieces on the ground.
Li Zheng pointed at Young Master Liu with trembling fingers: "Liu Mingzhi, this is the second time. This is already the second time. The officials who offended you will not have a good end! Half of the officials in Qingzhou were beheaded by you. Half of the eight houses under the jurisdiction of Qingzhou Mansion had to be merged into four houses, and you have captured more than half of the Jiangnan officials. Do you want to kill all my ministers?"
Liu Mingzhi hurriedly lowered his hands and did not dare to look at the emperor's face: "Your Majesty, I was ordered to supervise the case of missing tax money. None of the dozens of officials involved were clean. As an imperial envoy, it is my duty to deal with corrupt officials. Duty, what crime did I commit?"
Li Zheng frowned and gritted his teeth, sitting on the chair and breathing heavily.
"Corrupt officials, corrupt officials, I am in charge of the world, I am very clear about who is clean and who is unclean! Do you think I don't know whether their butts are clean or not? But as the emperor, what do you want me to do? Officials in the world are corrupt In all likelihood, if I kill them all, who will govern the world for me? Although officials are corrupt and the people are disgusted with them, without officials to govern, the world will be in chaos. Do you understand? Once these officials in Jiangnan are found guilty. , the entire staff department can’t find so many people to fill the vacancies!”
"These corrupt officials, I will kill them all with a wave of my pen. I can scare the world's corrupt officials. It's easy to say! But have you ever thought about the case of missing tax money in Jiangnan? The clerical clerk in Jiangnan went to the governor of the state to sweep away the case. Light!"
"All these officials have been arrested. Someone has to fill the vacancies! Even if there are officials from the Ministry of Personnel to fill the vacancies, can you Liu Mingzhi guarantee that the newly appointed officials will be honest and upright officials? They are not desperadoes blinded by gold, silver and jewelry. ?"
"You catch all the fat wolves that are full, but you kill them and send away the hungry wolves with empty stomachs. What should they do if they want to be full? Isn't it just that they are greedy and pervert the law and eat the people to get fat?"
"Kill a group of fat wolves and bring in a group of hungry wolves. I must have an explanation for the sake of the country and the people!"
Liu Mingzhi's pupils were so angry that he knew clearly that the emperor's words were wrong, but he couldn't find any rebuttal!
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