Zhang Ru, who didn't have much ill feeling towards Liu Jian, an upright old master, did not criticize Liu Jian, but nodded approvingly: "Liu Ge's words are true, but it's not a big problem. The Ming Dynasty paid millions of taels in taxes every year, but the treasury was empty. Once the Tatars offended, the treasury was emptied. Not to mention that His Majesty's inner library has already been cleaned up by Liang Fang, Li Zi Province and others, and Da Ming can now be regarded as innocent. If the sea ban is not opened, the minister does not know what way to fill the treasury. ”

Liu Jian said angrily: "To put it lightly, this is not a big problem, then what is a big problem." ”

Zhang Ru smiled: "If there is a problem, there is a solution." The three disadvantages mentioned by the elder of the pavilion are not just the solution. ”

Liu Jian snorted coldly: "Okay, the old man listens." ”

The so-called method is just a quibble in Liu Jian's eyes, and he doesn't think that Zhang Ru can say a real solution to the three problems in the court. Once the solution Zhang Ru said was unrealistic, he had plenty of reasons to oppose the proposal to open the sea to the sea.

"First, the matter of coastal spies, as far as I know, although the Ming Dynasty did not open the sea ban, there are still maritime merchants, and many of the people who followed the sea ships to the Ming Dynasty are yellow-haired and blue-eyed foreigners, who do not understand the language, and have different living customs, they are not suitable spies at all.

As for finding spies from people inside Daming, it would be more convenient, but these people were born in Daming, and they can become other people's spies when they go out? I'm afraid few people believe this, at least, those people who often go to sea will scold their mothers.

Besides, Jin Yiwei is not a dry eater, there are really spies, and Jin Yiwei should be the first to arrest him.

Second, the need for shipbuilding is indeed huge, and Ben Hou also said before that some people go to sea privately, and these people's ships are not large, and they do not load many goods, and they can make a lot of money every time they go back and forth.

This silver does not need to be paid by the treasury of the household department, and it can be paid by the inner treasury and my brocade guard.

Of course, if Jinyiwei pays for it, it will naturally need to take a little more.

Third, the formation of the sailors, this is indeed the most difficult problem, the sailors of Neijiang can not be compared with the sailors at sea, the sea is turbulent and unpredictable, and those sailors can not adapt to life at sea.

Therefore, in order to form a sailor, it is necessary to select suitable personnel from the coastal fishermen to practice. The formation of a water division requires money, people, food, and money, which is still the same, and it can be taken out of the inner treasury, but it is really not possible, and the industry of Jinyiwei can also be temporarily lent to the inner treasury. People, those who have their own sailors, go to the coast to look for them, and within a year, they will be able to go to the sea. Food! There is no need for the imperial court to pay a penny, all of which are purchased by the inner treasury. ”

As soon as Zhang Ru finished speaking at length, Zhu Youzhu felt bitter in his heart: You can't do anything when you are the inner library! Every year, the silver from the Huangzhuang, the silver from the salt and iron is either to build the palace or to the nobles, where can I get so much silver for you to form a sailor and build a big ship!

Of course, he is now in favor of the ban on the opening of the sea, and of course this cannot be said in front of so many courtiers who oppose the ban on the opening of the sea.

He didn't speak well, but Liu Jian didn't have any scruples, and immediately said: "Lord Zhang said it lightly, if it is not the inner library, it is not a silver mountain!" ”

It is well known that the silver in the inner treasury is simply not enough to support a sailor. Not to mention that the emperor sometimes has to ask the treasury to borrow money to repair the palace, but sometimes the monthly silver of those nobles cannot be distributed in the inner treasury.

Zhang Ru smiled lightly: "These are not problems, Your Majesty's inner treasury has no money, and the minister's Jinyi Wei has money." Today, Jinyiwei has 73 shops, with a monthly profit of 200,000 taels. There are thirty-five caravans, and the annual profit is more than 500,000 taels, and after deducting the pensions that should be given to those brothers who died in battle, the silver that can be left every year is about two million taels. These two million taels of silver can benefit about twenty ships.

Counting the man-hours, the first ship will be able to go to sea in June next year, and in September, a fleet of small ships will be formed. The drills of the sailors can also be put on the agenda, and by March of the following year, the fleet will be officially ready to set off. ”

Liu Jian was completely blocked and speechless, and the questions he raised were all very important questions, but these problems were solved by Zhang Ru.

However, Liu Jian didn't have anything to say, it doesn't mean that others have nothing to say, Li Min, the head of the household, didn't seem to have the consciousness to eat a trench and grow wise, and jumped out and said: "Lord Zhang, you are competing with the people for profit." ”

Zhang Ru snorted coldly: "Where did Master Li start with this? Competing with the people? Merchants have been a lowly industry since ancient times, and the imperial court did not encourage them, but suppressed them. As long as you officials and state officials set fires, and the people are not allowed to light lamps, where is the reason?

Ben will inspect the nine sides and encourage businessmen to engage in business, where do they come from to compete with the people?

Lord Li touched his conscience and asked himself, did the commercial tax increase in the first year of Hongzhi, and did this increase in commercial tax solve your urgent need again? ”

Li Min was speechless, indeed, if it weren't for the sharp increase in commercial taxes, the drought in a few large grain-producing provinces alone would be enough to make his household secretary lose a layer of skin.

I have mixed feelings in my heart, and I really don't know whether to thank or curse Zhang Ru.

Unconsciously, the voices of those wails became smaller and smaller, and everyone looked at Zhang Ru like a monster. He is now living like a businessman who puts interests first, where did he come from.

Several officials who jumped out to oppose the ban on the sea chose to shut up, and finally someone shamelessly pulled the topic to the ancestral system: "Your Majesty, the minister opposes the ban on the opening of the sea, and the ancestral system that cannot go to the sea must not be violated, otherwise it will be disrespectful to the ancestors." ”

"The minister seconded the proposal!"

"The minister seconded the proposal!"

Zhu Youzhu is now a head and two big, and there are many difficulties in opening the sea ban, but what he is most afraid of the people below mentioning is that it violates the ancestral system.

He is an emperor, or an emperor who rules the world with filial piety, how important the ancestral system is, there is no need to say more. But these courtiers are playing scoundrels to make people worry, and the reasons they find are very good, and the emperor can't even punish him if he wants to. Whoever makes every effort to promote the opening of the sea ban will be a traitor, and whoever is a traitor who flatters the king.

Zhang Ru is now a lamb roasted on the fire, and no one will jump out to help him at this time.

It is already very good that Liu Ji can help him say a few words before, and if Liu Ji stands up and continues to support the opening of the sea ban with a clear banner at this time, then he will completely deviate from the entire civil official group.

Zhang Ru looked at the noisy officials motionlessly, as if he wanted to imprint their faces in his mind. After a long time, Zhu Youzhu finally couldn't stand the commotion of so many people, and waved his hand very irritably: "This matter can be discussed later, and retreat." ”

A war of words came to an end for the time being, but it was still very early before the curtain came to an end.

That night, a group of officials who were involved in maritime affairs gathered together, and the person at the head was none other than Liu Ji, who had spoken to Zhang Ru in the court.

If Zhang Ru saw this scene, maybe he would immediately grab the other party's shirt and slap him twice, but unfortunately, he didn't see this scene.

"Elder Ge, this sea ban must not be opened! Everyone present knows how much convenience the maritime merchants have brought us, and once the sea ban is lifted, the coastal families will inevitably rebel. Li Min said eagerly.

As soon as he spoke, someone immediately chimed in: "Yes, yes! ”

Li Min was fighting in his heart, how could Liu Ji not know that those big families along the coast who were related to maritime merchants were now in a stage of making a lot of money in a muffled voice.

As long as the imperial court openly stated that the sea was banned, then they would not be able to monopolize it, and if there was competition, the coral, agate, and spices shipped back from overseas would depreciate. And those foreigners who have a deal with maritime merchants will have a new choice.

If the person who proposed the opening of the sea ban was a civil official, those families might be dealing with this civil official, but now it is a military general who is proposing the opening of the sea ban, and it is a military general who is in the limelight in the court, and those gentry who are better than ghosts may immediately give up the thighs of these civil officials and go to hug the thighs of Jinyiwei instead.

Liu Ji pursed his lips tightly and didn't speak, he didn't want to be an enemy of Zhang Ru, because the confrontation between the eldest princess Gulun and Zhang Ru made his heart tremble. But he had to be an enemy of Zhang Ru, because now Zhang Ru has stood against the entire civilian group.

"Elder Ge, what should we do now?" Someone asked.

"Yes, Elder Ge has an idea, we can't wait for them to really open the sea ban before we make a move." And humane.

Liu Ji's eyes narrowed slightly, and his eyes were shining: "Why don't you go to the Dingbian Hou Mansion to cry, make trouble, and hang yourself?" Where has all the prestige in the court gone? What virtues do you not know? ”

Everyone was embarrassed when he said this, and what they did in the court today was no different from the shrews in the market.

"But you have to think of a way." Someone muttered quietly.

Liu Ji sighed slightly: "There is no other way for today's plan, but to bite the word ancestral system and not relax." His Majesty's intention is obviously to support Zhang Ru, but the word ancestral system makes it impossible for His Majesty to express his position openly, and this is our opportunity. You can rest assured, those imperial historians will not let go of such a great opportunity for impeachment. When you go back, look for connections, and let those people kneel outside the noon gate. I don't want Your Majesty to immediately oppose the ban on opening the sea, but at least let Your Majesty throw a mouse. ”

As soon as he said that, he was enthusiastically supported by everyone.

This method is indeed the best way that can be thought of now, as long as the emperor does not nod, even if Zhang Ru wants to open the sea ban again, it will be in vain.

Immediately, these officials left Liu Ji's mansion one after another, and they went back to find the imperial historians they knew well to prepare for the impeachment of Zhang Ru.

At this time, in Jinyiwei, Zhang Ru, the commander of Jinyiwei, and Wang Zhi, the superintendent of Dongchang, were drinking wine and chatting.

The civil servants are thinking about countermeasures, and the two of them are also thinking about countermeasures. The only difference is that the civil officials are very united, and here, Wang Zhi didn't know what Zhang Ru's second step was even after the Great Dynasty.