The king of Qi today is wearing the light yellow prince's official uniform of the four dragons, wearing a foot on his head, the prince is noble, and the instrument is stopped under the prime minister, the king of Qi usually wears a light-colored military robe, and sometimes it is simply the old military robe on his body, if it is not for the outstanding appearance and outstanding demeanor, I am afraid that he will be considered an ordinary old soldier.

Today, this robe is worn, plus the ivory corner robe belt, the goldfish bag, and the dark blue jade ornament in the middle of the head, the prince is noble, and the royal robe is gorgeous, and the prince's demeanor is also revealed.

"I've seen Your Highness."

Xu Zi first raised his hands to his forehead, and then bowed for a long time, this is Shenyi, whether it is officialdom or from the perspective of New Year's greetings to his nephew, it is appropriate to do such a deep bow.

This dynasty does not prosper and worship, only when the New Year's Day and the Great Dynasty meet, the ministers will bow to see the monarch.

Usually, when the prime ministers of the two provinces arrive, the Son of Heaven will get up to greet them, and the rulers of the two governments will just bow to the Son of Heaven, and then sit and talk about it.

When a minister sees a minister, unless it is a small official who sees the ruler, there is no reason to kneel and bow. Even if it is a small official, who is a little scheming of the city government and pays attention to the image, he will not ask the little official to kowtow to himself.

"Enlightened and polite." King Qi also returned the salute with his fists, which can be regarded as a half-way return.

"Nian Zhengdan," Xu Zixian said: "Isn't Your Highness busy?" ”

"Most of them came to Feishu to post a visit, and they didn't expect me to see them." King Qi also said with a smile: "Sacrifice to ancestors, family banquets, and keep the New Year, I have enough tossing of old bones, and I won't see anyone today, just rest in the house, but I am idle and panicked." It just so happened that the last letter was copied yesterday, Mingda, you are here, I asked you to come in and have a look. ”

King Qi seemed to be in a good mood, Xu Zi first asked Liu Yi and others to wait outside, and the people from their own palace arranged for them to rest, and snacks and tea were also essential, so Xu Zi didn't have to worry about it first.

King Qi led Xu Zixian to pass under the Ming Corridor, sat down in the study of the inner house, and did not ask the maid to serve tea and snacks, but directly took out a copy of the mansion and handed it to Xu Zixian.

Xu Zi took a quick look at it first, and he was a little surprised.

Wang Zhi, the king of the East China Sea, really surrendered by himself, and the imperial court held seven meetings for this purpose, two mansions, three divisions, six departments, Zhuzhong scholars, Hanlin Bachelors, Duanming Guanwen and other palace straight bachelors, Yushi Zhongcheng and left and right deputy Zhongcheng and other high-ranking officials, bachelors, who have weight in the court and Jingqing, all went to the political hall to participate in the meeting.

The Son of Heaven waited for news in the greenhouse hall until the end of the last meeting, when the palace gate was closed, and the court officials were arguing fiercely.

The right minister, Xu Xiashang, is old, and he is about to return to his hometown, and he has no firm position on this matter, and most of the officials in his vein are like this.

The DPRK has basically formed a pattern of party contention in discussing major policies.

Zuo Prime Minister Han Zhong is resolutely opposed, the reason is, of course, that the pirates are not reliable at all, and the court accepts Wang Zhi to be attached, and if it changes in the elbow, I don't know when Wang Zhi will rebel again, and it will be even more chaotic at that time.

It's better to keep it out and maintain the current pattern.

The Privy Council envoy Zhang Guangen supported Han Zhong, and the two deputy envoys stood behind Liu Zhiyuan, the chief counselor, and waved the flag and shouted for Liu Zhiyuan.

Because Wang Zhi was not attached, and occupied the Bohai Island outside Gyeonggi, threatening Gyeonggi, Shandong East Road Dengzhou and Laizhou were threatened, the imperial court in order to prevent Wang Zhi from attacking, at least a dozen armies of the forbidden army and the box army.

If this force can be placed in the area of the Yanshan defense line, at least the Donghu breach will not be so easy, and it will also save the cost of building a water division.

After thirty years of abandonment, it is now difficult for the imperial court to rebuild the water division.

A treasure ship-class super warship with a displacement of 1,000 tons costs at least 500,000 guan, and even a medium-sized Chinese warship of 400 to 500 tons costs at least 300,000 guan.

As for the large fortune ships, from the construction of the ship to the assembly of stone crossbows, bed crossbows, plus the crew accompanying the ship, one is at least about 150,000 yuan.

The coastal defense in the north and south, without more than 100 large warships, cannot be taken care of at all.

In other words, the imperial court has to make up its mind to reorganize the water division, and the cost will be more than 10 million yuan, and it will take at least three or five years.

For the Son of Heaven who is eager for quick success and quick profit, and is eager to annihilate Donghu tomorrow, eliminate the Northern Captives, and Xiqiang, for such a long time, tens of millions of dollars are thrown into the sea, and what he guards against is just a few pirates who have no ambition for the world, and the Son of Heaven still needs to think about the trade-offs?

The key is that the court does not have money.

The annual income of 100 million guan is used to support the soldiers, and 10 million is used to support the royal family and the Son of Heaven, including the expenses of Lang Wei.

The rest is used to support the clan, hundreds of officials, official affairs and public welfare expenses, and so on.

The imperial court has cut more than ninety percent of the public welfare expenditure, and in the fourteenth year of Chongde, the imperial court has not provided relief to the victims once, has not built an official road, built a bridge, and certainly has not treated the Yellow River and other floods.

Every year, there is a shortfall of millions or even tens of millions of yuan in the imperial court, and every year the Son of Heaven is forced to take out the private wealth of the inner treasury to make up for part of it, or return the appropriation to the royal family.

The country is like this, how can we restore the great rejuvenation of the water division?

At this moment, Wang Zhixiang is famous for his loyalty, and he is a famous outlier among the five pirates at sea, what is wrong with appeasing him?

The whole country is running on the road to ruin, and the high-ranking officials and nobles think about their own power, and they insist on opposing anything that threatens power...... The reason why Han Zhong fiercely opposed it was, of course, not that he couldn't believe Wang Zhi, or that he really felt that there was a hidden danger, Wang Zhi was well-known for his loyalty, and the imperial court had always planned to appease him, and recruit a powerful one among the five pirates at sea, at least it was a good thing for the peace of the northern seas.

The remaining four times, some of the core interests in the Wa State, some in the East Luzon, there are also in the West Bo Ni State and Lin Fang State and other countries, only the main area of Pu Xingfeng's activities is in the sea off Guangzhou, sometimes to Fujian, in the past six months, because Wang Zhi intends to be appeased and surrendered, and the four thieves meet at sea, frankly said that it will be the overseas pillar of the imperial court, if the thieves are not satisfied, Wang Zhi will fight with the thieves at sea.

Wang Zhi's warships are the most sophisticated, and in the South China Sea of the Wa Kingdom, Wang Kang Tianqi and Wang Zhi have a good relationship, and the other three thieves also expressed their support for Wang Zhi for the sake of harmony between the thieves, which is also the most important reason why the sea from Fujian Liangguang to Jingshi has been calm in the past six months, and the thieves rarely harass and plundered on a large scale.

If Wang Zhi can be formally appeased, it will be of great benefit to state affairs, and this matter has also become a wrestling between Zuo Xiang and Liu Zhiyuan, seven consecutive big discussions, both sides insisted on their own words, and finally formed an ambiguous resolution, fortunately, what the Son of Heaven wants is this effect, if the court officials agree that they cannot be appeased, of course the matter will be dismissed, and as long as there are many officials who express their support, the Son of Heaven can take a stand in the middle.

In the end, the emperor of the Xuanshu Hall issued an edict, the quasi-king was directly attached, awarded the general of the left guard, and the envoy of the Jing Navy Festival, the edict was issued, and the left phase was closed, but after all, the edict was drafted by the Hanlin bachelor, and the Chinese scholar was attached to the signature, and the seal was used by the political affairs hall, and the edict was issued in the world.

When Di copied to Fujian Road, it was rushed after 400 miles, and it was nearly ten days since this happened.

"Mingda, what do you think?"

King Qi said: "Wang Zhi is attached, and will enter Beijing after the year to make a pilgrimage to the Son of Heaven......"

"So it's the season of the Jingshi." Xu Zixian said with a smile: "Since Xuanzong, the festival degree envoy is not a false award, just a false title, Wang Zhi's festival degree envoy, of course not a false position?" ”

"Allow him to keep the trilogy, and collect the merchant tax of the East China Sea for the trilogy, and the imperial court will allocate 200,000 yuan of money and 200,000 stone of grain a year, so that Wang Zhi's more than 14,000 subordinates and fleets can be used by the imperial court."

"Wang Zhi has always been loyal and upright, which is also a good thing."

"Does Mingda really think so?" King Qi looked at Xu Zixian and said, "In front of me, you can tell the truth. ”

Xu Zixian didn't answer immediately, he lowered his head and thought for a while, and said: "The court dispute is complicated, although a big pirate like Wang Zhi is cunning, ferocious, and brave. But his scheming and wisdom are nothing in front of the princes of the imperial court. I am afraid that the princes of the DPRK and the Central Committee will continue the political struggle through this person, and there will be pressure, difficulty, and support. Once there is any change in the meantime, Wang Zhidu will bear the brunt, and he, the envoy of the Jing Navy, is not easy to do. ”

"Yes, that's right." King Qi took a breath, looked at Xu Zixian and said, "If Mingda is in a position like Wang Zhi, how will you choose?" ”

King Qi saw that Xu Zi was a little hesitant at first, so he encouraged: "It's okay, if you have anything to say, let's not make trouble with those false texts." ”

Xu Zi pondered for a moment, but decided to tell the truth, a King of Qi has the grace of supporting and reusing him, and the two have a tacit understanding both in business and private relations, and they can trust each other. Second, if the king of Qi and others ask him about his ambition, if he is timid and afraid, what will the king of Qi think, if there is something to ask the king of Qi for support in the future, it will be difficult to speak at that time.

At that moment, Xu Zixian said: "If I am Wang Zhi, occupy the open sea around the East China Sea, clear out small groups of pirates who do not obey orders at sea, tax merchant ships to obtain stable income, and cooperate with big businessmen in the coastal Jiangnan and Fujian all the way to carry out smuggling trade, so that there are abundant financial resources." It is stationed in Pingdao, the place is small and can not be cultivated, it was originally the horse breeding ground of the Bohai country, the island is rich in good horses, and its sailors do not need it at all. If it were me, I would choose a big island, raise troops in Tuntian, build elite soldiers with abundant financial resources, and wait for the times to change ......"

Even if he was talking to King Qi, Xu Zixian felt that it was almost the same when he talked about it, he paused and said: "In my opinion, if you can think of this, I don't think it is impossible for Wang Zhi not to think of it......"

"Yes, yes." King Qi was very satisfied with Xu Zixian's answer, nodded frequently, and said, "Mingda's method, with the status of Wang Zhi, is the right thing to do." But you ignore one point, Wang Zhi's age. ”

Xu Zixian suddenly covered his head, patted his head, and said with a smile: "Indeed, I was negligent!" ”

Wang Zhi is over 60 years old, wandering on the sea all the year round, living in a fixed place, which has caused great damage to his body. Even if it is a rumored martial arts master, he is strong and healthy when he is young and middle-aged, and at this age, decay is inevitable.

The most important thing is that Wang Zhi has no children, and he has more than ten wives and concubines, and has given birth to more than a dozen daughters for Wang Zhi, but not a single son was born. No matter how many women there are, giving birth to a boy or a girl is not a woman's business, but from a man, Wang Zhi's genes may have many daughters, which is really a tragedy for Wang Zhi himself.

And Wang Zhi was old and strong, and finally gave birth to a son the year before last, which is like a treasure.

But it is impossible for Wang Zhi to hand over the inheritance to this child, not only can he not hand it over, but he also has to find a way to ensure that this little son is protected, so as not to have an unforeseen disaster after his death.

That's the smart thing to do.

When Wang Zhi died, I am afraid that this child was under ten years old, how could it be possible to be a sea overlord at this age, recognized by the bandits and supported by his subordinates?

If Wang Zhi does this, it is not a beloved son, but a harmful son, even if one night, the child will accidentally fall into the water on the boat, the moon is dark and the stars are high, the sea is turbulent, and he can't even save it.

This is not a possibility, but almost a certainty.

Wang Zhi Aizi was anxious to attach himself and obtain the official position and recognition of the imperial court, and this is the reason.

If Wang Zhi had a son more than ten years ago, he must have a different choice, so it seems that Wang Zhi's so-called loyalty, of course, can be a big question mark, the group of thieves agreed to his attachment, and there is a lot of support, it is estimated that it is also because of Wang Zhi's suffering, can be forgiven by most people.