Under the deliberate guidance of the imperial court, the Yan Kingdom set off a crazy tide of going to sea.

The number of people going to sea is increasing day by day, and none of the wealthy businessmen, wealthy families, and eunuchs who have the strength to go to sea does not participate in the tide of going to sea.

The port city wharf can no longer meet the needs of the people to go to sea, and the people have asked for orders to let the imperial court increase the number of wharves to go to sea.

After Yang Qi sent someone to understand the specific situation, he waved his hand and opened Dengzhou Wharf, Dongtou Island Wharf, and Harbour City Wharf.

Four major wharves were opened, running through the coastline of Yanguo.

It barely met the needs of the people to go to sea.

And the people went to sea frantically, which also drove the prosperity of the shipbuilding industry.

On the four major docks, in addition to the eight shipyards established by the imperial court, more than 100 large and small shipyards have been built successively.

At the same time, the business of the cities adjacent to the four major piers has also prospered at a speed that is visible to the naked eye.

It's almost a day-to-day change.

The most intuitive is that the commercial tax of the four major terminals is rising in a straight line.

In just two months, the commercial tax of the four major wharves steadily exceeded the autumn tax of the previous Song Kingdom.

All in all, everything is growing by leaps and bounds, driven by the tide of going to sea.

However.

The largest fleet of ships in the Great Yan Kingdom has not yet gone to sea.

Cao Lin's four daughters prepared together for nearly three months and spent tens of millions of taels of silver, which shows how huge the fleet is.

The bare boatmen employed tens of thousands of people.

That's it, the four girls still seem to be dissatisfied.

Early in the morning, Cao Lin found Yang Qi to fight the autumn wind.

"Your Majesty~"

Cao Lin, who was dressed in red, entered the imperial study with a swirling voice.

She held a cup of tea in her hand, and the faint fragrance of rice flowers wafted out of the cup.

Obviously, it was Yang Qi's favorite scent of rice flowers.

Yang Qi put down the fold in his hand, rubbed his eyebrows, and sighed, "Why are you here again?" ”

Yang Qi felt that the more Cao Lin lived, the more he wanted to be a goblin, and he was trying to squeeze himself dry.

Cao Lin walked up to Yang Qi and said resentfully: "The concubine is your main palace lady, shouldn't she come and see you?" ”

Yang Qi rolled his eyes and said angrily, "You're here to see me?" It's clearly coming to fight the autumn wind. From the low of February to now, you have been looking for me several times.

The first time, you came to tell me that the private shipyards can't build the big ships you want, so you have to ask the imperial shipyards to help you build ships.

I have answered you.

The second time, you came to tell me that the boatmen of the people had run away with those rich merchants, and that you had empty ships but no manpower, so you had to recruit the shipwrights of the imperial court.

I have answered you.

The third time, you came to me again and told me that you had never been to the sea, and that you needed experienced people to help you train the helmsman, and that you had to sign Huang Gu and Wang Yan to do things for you.

I have answered you.

Now that you have all the big ships, boatmen, and helmsmen, what more do you want? ”

When Cao Lin heard this, she didn't feel embarrassed at all, she felt that Yang Qi was his father-in-law, and he asked Yang Qi for something, which was right.

She lowered her body and put down the cup in her hand, threw herself into Yang Qi's arms, and said delicately: "The concubine has a big ship, a boatman, and a helmsman, but the concubine heard Huang Gu say yesterday that those barbarians overseas are very cruel.

You also know how much money the four of us sisters put in it.

If the big ship goes out to sea and encounters the barbarians, then the blood will be lost, and the four of us sisters will not survive. ”

The corners of Yang Qi's mouth twitched, he probably guessed what Cao Lin wanted in his heart, but he asked quietly on his face, "So, what else do you want?" ”

Cao Lin lay in Yang Qi's arms and said weakly: "The concubine doesn't want anything...... The concubine just heard that Luo Ye and Zhao Di have completed the errand you gave them in recent days and are on their way back.

The concubine also heard that the 10,000 people under the two of them were all good at following Han Qiong to the sea.

Anyway, after they return to Beijing, they don't have any other errands, can you see if you can transfer them to us? ”

Yang Qi glanced at her, and the corners of his mouth twitched: "They are indeed good candidates to go to sea, your eyes are really poisonous." ”

"And ......"

"And?!"

Yang Qi's eyes widened.

Cao Lin said aggrievedly: "The concubines have prepared thousands of big ships, and the full number of people going to sea is less than 20,000, and they are evenly distributed to each ship, and there are less than twenty people."

So the concubine thought, let's see if you can give the prisoners who live in the temples in various places to the concubines.

Anyway, now that the Buddhists have left the Yan Kingdom, they stay in the temple, and they have nothing to do all day long, and they make trouble one by one to annoy you, so you might as well give them to your concubines. ”

Without waiting for Yang Qi to speak, Cao Lin continued to himself: "After these people get on the boat, they can't be idle, right?" If you encounter a barbarian attack, you have to protect yourself, right?

How much do you have to give them some weapons to defend themselves?

Each person was issued a suit of armor, a knife and a gun.

Each ship, in turn, was equipped with ten guns.

Barely able to protect himself. ”

Yang Qi's eyes widened, shocked and angry.

Whether it is the 10,000 people in the hands of Luo Ye and Zhao Di, or the prisoners who are still imprisoned in temples around the country, they are all veterans who have experienced the southern and northern wars, and even many of them still have meritorious deeds on their backs.

When they are equipped, their combat effectiveness is not lower than that of the regular army of the imperial court, and with the help of artillery, their combat effectiveness is doubled.

It's good if they don't bully others, but they still say it's just for self-preservation?

Yang Qi can be sure that Cao Lin has equipped these people with such fierceness, and it is definitely not as simple as self-protection as she said.

Eighty percent will follow the example of Huang Gu and Wang Yan.

Moreover, it is very likely that these two goods gave Cao Lin the idea.

Yang Qi's mind was in a hurry, and he didn't know whether he should agree to Cao Lin or not.

Cao Lin saw Yang Qi's hesitation, she didn't speak, just looked at Yang Qi pitifully.

Half an hour later.

Yang Qichang sighed, "Hey! You can be given manpower, or you can equip them with armor, but ten cannons on a ship will not work. ”

Yang Qi looked at Cao Lin seriously and said, "A ship with ten cannons, how many are there?" 10,000 statues are enough to blow Yanjing City to pieces. The outflow of so much artillery is immeasurable if it is not controlled.

Therefore, I will only grant you a maximum of 100 cannons, which will only be used for emergency purposes. ”

Hearing this, Cao Lin nodded heavily.

Through Yang Qi's explanation, she also realized how much damage it would do to Yan Guo after the artillery flowed out, and she knew how serious it was, so she didn't entangle with Yang Qi in this matter.

According to Huang Gu and Wang Yan, 20,000 or 30,000 soldiers with complete armor are enough to run amok overseas, and there is no need for artillery at all.

The artillery was added by Cao Lin herself, and she also hoped that her fleet would have a big harvest.

So in the matter of artillery, Cao Lin only mentioned it in passing.

Yang Qi can approve a hundred cannons, and she is already satisfied.

"I'm not done yet! If you want to use the people of the court and the armor of the court, you must agree to two conditions. ”

"Those two conditions?"

"First, the fleet is out of the territory of Yan Kingdom, if it is going to the Peacock Dynasty, then I don't care. Because Huang Gu and Wang Yan have already smoothed the route. But if you want to go anywhere else, you must take the route that I have laid out for you.

Second, fifty percent of the harvest of the fleet's voyage to sea was handed over to the state treasury. ”

Cao Lin didn't have too many objections to the first condition put forward by Yang Qi, after all, the maps that are rumored to be rumored today are all from Yang Qi's hands, and no one knows the places on the map better than Yang Qi.

With Yang Qi to check the route, Cao Lin was relieved.

But Yang Qi's second condition, Cao Lin couldn't accept it.

She pouted and said: "Our sisters are busy trying to make a little money, you can take half of it as soon as you open your mouth, how can you let the concubines explain to the sisters." ”

Yang Qi glanced at Cao Lin, and said angrily: "I'm embarrassed to submit it, don't think that I don't know what you and Huang Gu are talking about." You let the soldiers and horses of the imperial court desperately help you collect money, shouldn't you hand over some of it to the imperial court?

Also, explain it to the people under you.

When you go to sea, gold and silver are the least valuable.

The more gold and silver, the less valuable it is, and the real value is those crops, trees and flowers overseas.

If these things can get my Yan Kingdom alive, it will be enough to benefit the children and grandchildren of future generations.

Go back and find a few people who are proficient in plants and trees to follow, and get all the plants and trees that I don't have in the Great Yan Kingdom.

Remember, when it is critical, it is better to give up gold and silver than to plant and trees. ”

When Cao Lin heard this, she pouted in dissatisfaction.

Immediately, she frowned puzzled and said, "Your Majesty, since you care so much about those plants and trees, why don't you organize a fleet to go out by yourself, but you have to press the four concubines and sisters." ”

Yang Qi was stunned, shook his head and smiled: "It's different, you people go to sea for gold, silver and jewelry." If I send people to sea, it can only be conquest. At present, my Dayan is not properly governed, and if I go to occupy the place, it will only increase consumption. ”

Cao Lin muttered: "The concubine has always been puzzled, in order to make the people live a better life, you did not hesitate to let your soldiers and horses go out to loot. Now that you have a lot of wealth in front of you, why don't you do nothing? ”

An inexplicable smile appeared on Yang Qi's face, and he said leisurely: "Because I make money, I don't need to go to sea." ”

Cao Lin was even more puzzled, but Yang Qi didn't explain too much.

As Yang Qi said, as a big country master, he doesn't need to go to sea to make money.

Because those who go to sea have already started to make money from them before they go to sea.

On the map alone, Yang Qi amassed a huge amount of money.

I have to admit that Su Yijian is a good hand in governance, and he is even better at doing business.

Su Yijian is very proficient in the means of strange goods.

The money from the sale of the map was double what Yang Qi expected.

In addition to the map, the eight major shipyards of the imperial court are also making money every day.

There were also soldiers hired to guard goods, taxes on entering and leaving the docks.

In short, hundreds of revenues from all kinds of items have filled the treasury of Yan State at a speed visible to the naked eye.

According to the statistics of Lu Mengzheng, who has been transferred to the household department, the various revenues of the four major ports add up, which is equivalent to the tax burden of the Great Yan Kingdom for eight years.

Thus.

When everyone went to sea to seek the dream of getting rich, Yang Qi had quietly made a lot of money behind his back.

After Cao Lin took out what she wanted from Yang Qi's hand, she left the imperial study in a hurry.

After nearly a month, the troops were dispatched and staffed.

A thousand large ships, fully armed, began to set sail.

Cao Lin's four daughters arrived in Hong Kong City seven days in advance.

They organized a grand ceremony for the start-up.

This grand event, which marked the beginning of the Age of Discovery, Yang Qi did not participate.

When all eyes are on the port city.

One after another, inconspicuous carriages slowly drove into Yanjing City.

After the carriage entered Yanjing City, it drove all the way into the palace without any hindrance.

Until dusk, when the palace gates were slowly closed, no carriage appeared.

Inside the Royal Palace.

The Imperial Study.

In addition to the bookshelves, the rest of the things that can be moved in the study have basically been moved outside.

In the middle of the study, there is a large round table, which is densely packed with official documents.

Yang Qi sat facing south and lived in the middle.

On the left and right sides are Su Yijian, Lv Duan, Xiang Minzhong, Kou Zhun, Lv Mengzheng, Chen Yao, and Zhao Pu.

The seven important ministers of the Yan Kingdom all gathered together.

Yang Qi said with a serious face: "Everyone, I specially brought you together because I have an important task to hand over to you, which is related to the century-old plan of Yan Kingdom. ”

There was no need for Yang Qi to remind them, Su Yijian and the seven people also knew that Yang Qi would bring them together this time, and it must be a big deal.

So when Yang Qi said this, Su Yijian and the seven nodded solemnly without saying a word.

Yang Qi said slowly: "You should know that half a year ago, the hundred officials forced me to reopen the imperial examination. If it weren't for the news that there was a treasure overseas that attracted everyone's attention, I'm afraid I would have been cornered by now.

The imperial examination is a great ceremony for the selection of useful and usable people for the country.

It is not a tool for the promotion of a certain family or faction, let alone a sharp weapon for forming a party for personal gain.

With more than 200 years of development, the imperial examination has become deformed.

It is no longer a way for the rise of the Hanmen, but has become a way for a few people to control the speech of the imperial court, and even a sharp weapon for some people to corrupt the imperial court, and it has also provided convenience for some people with ill intentions to form a party and run a private business.

There are even some people who are officials for one person, and they are rich for three generations.

I don't need such officials, I don't need such moths.

They are not here to rule for the people, they are here to make money.

There are also some officials, relying on their literary talents, chanting poems all day long, drinking and prostituting prostitutes, but they do not care about government affairs.

That's it, can you still be promoted?

You told me that if such an official governs the country, why should the country not perish?

Therefore, I decided to reform this malpractice.

Let's start with the election of officials. ”

Yang Qi glanced at the seven people, and said solemnly: "I summoned you all over to discuss the matter of electing officials, I have some ideas, I will talk about them first, and after you listen to them, you will supplement and correct them." ”

"No!"