Kangxi was not an emperor keen to open up maritime territory, and all successive Qing emperors were like this. Qianlong invested more than 100 million taels of silver for a small Jinchuan, but did not open up even a sea route. Of course, this is also a common problem of almost the entire Chinese feudal dynasty emperors. The vast sea, together with the nomads in the north, the deserts and plateaus in the west, and the primeval jungles in the south, blocked the way for the Central Empire to expand in all directions, making this great country can only consume itself in a narrow circle, and gradually lose its sharpness, just like the ancient Yelang King, thinking that the whole world is the only one.

Temasek, however, is Singapore.

Yu Zhong thought that it was not a day or two here. In fact, it wasn't just him, no matter which one of the five of them was thinking about it. The most important sea passage between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, the "golden waterway" between the East and the West, if they are not controlled in their hands, no one of them will be at ease.

The Strait of Malacca is more than 1,600 miles long and 200 nautical miles wide, but its exit near Singapore is only more than two nautical miles, and it is far easier and safer to control such a strait than to establish China's hegemony in the South China Sea and Southeast Asia in a few naval battles.

Therefore, after Yu Zhong talked about this, he immediately used the information he had prepared for many years to chat with Kangxi and a cadre of civil and military generals.

……

Kangxi actually had no intention of "picking quarrels and making trouble" at sea again, although the things that Yu Zhong did in Japan could be said to be high-sounding on the surface, but in the hearts of him and the ministers, it was still an act of "looting", but it was difficult for everyone to say it clearly. After all, a million taels of gold were there, and no one would want to put that much money out again, unless it was an idiot or a fool, and it had to be hopelessly stupid. However, Yu Zhong's description of Temasek could not help but make him feel moved.

You must know that building five water divisions at once, Kangxi's heart is actually very distressed. If it weren't for Old Man Fei's chest, he wouldn't have such a big determination, it would be good to be able to grit his teeth and build three, just because he knew the sea power of the countries around him. Now that Japan has been beaten, there is no threat at all in his eyes, and only those Westerners remain. Over the years, according to the information he had learned, Westerners had established colonies in places like Luzon, which were equivalent to the territory of a country. Therefore, he has always been very depressed in his heart. In his opinion, these countries close to China should all have China as their suzerain, how can they be occupied by outsiders? Moreover, he also heard that Britain, France and other countries had a huge colony comparable to the entire Qing Dynasty in a place called America. Although he didn't care about this, every time he heard about it, he always felt a little itchy.

However, if it is really as Yu Zhong said, as long as the Strait of Malacca and Temasek are controlled, it is equivalent to controlling the sea passage between the East and the West, and controlling the gate of Westerners to the East. Especially if you can still make money there, it will be even better.

However, it is clear that these are not enough to impress him and those civil and military officials.

"It's a big Qing Dynasty, it's good not to beat people, where would anyone dare to provoke? Even if anyone dared to provoke him, he would not be able to come from the sea. This was the general theory of almost all officials in the entire Qing court. Moreover, Yu Zhong added a powerful argument to this assertion: it was he who led his troops to beat up Japan, making the only country in history that had disturbed China's maritime frontier even more inaccessible in the minds of many Qing court officials.

Fortunately, Yu Zhong is not the only one.

Now, although most of the Qing officials are supportive of the opening of the sea ban, these people still have some concerns. Moreover, these worries have always been a hidden worry in the bottom of Kangxi's heart and the Manchu royal family.

Since Kangxi opened the sea ban, too many people have left the mainland by boat, and they will never return.

These people, in the eyes of many ordinary people, from Kangxi to others, have become "unfilial", "disloyal" and "plotting misdeeds". After all, after so many years of development, traditional Chinese morality does not approve of the behavior of these people. Especially in the legend, Nanyang is the gathering place of the former Ming Dynasty, the Zheng family's relics and many outlaws. The Manchu rulers have always had little confidence in themselves, for fear that a little spark will cause the whole of China to rebel, so they have always been "guarding against the slightest slight" in dealing with the situation of rebellion, and they will kill all of them at the first sign of rebellion, let alone "openly gathering" like now?

Such a one, coupled with the fact that the coastal provinces have repeatedly banned smuggling, and the momentum is getting bigger and bigger, the smuggled goods are also increasing, and the loss of customs tariff silver is becoming more and more serious. And in fact, Kangxi did exactly what he did in history.

However, is Kangxi really willing to give up such a huge tax source from the customs? After the completion of the five major sailors, as long as they work hard, smuggling will definitely be curbed, if not eliminated; As long as Temasek is held in Temasek and the whole of Nanyang is locked up in the "courtyard" of his own home, those who go to sea and never return, will they still be circling within the borders? What's more, most of those who went south went to Luzon, which is controlled by the Spaniards, and if Temasek was controlled in their hands, the Spaniards on Luzon would not be able to say a few words.

In addition, Yu Zhong also provided many other reasons: First, the sea transportation is convenient, and the distance from Guangdong to Temasek, even if it is a little slower, can be reached in a month at most. This is more convenient, cheaper, and faster than transporting military rations from the south of the Yangtze River to the northwest, I don't know how many times. You don't need to make any effort from the imperial court, just send troops. Second, according to intelligence, Temasek at this time was under the jurisdiction of the Jordan of Johor, just a small fishing village, which belonged to the kingdom of Tianmeng. Johor, on the other hand, did not manage the area much because it was often at war with the Dutch and Portuguese, and at most the Qing court could get this area for a small amount of money. It's a big deal, in the name of China, mediating these three countries is enough to make the disadvantaged Johor country grateful to Dade. Third, the presence of troops in Temasek made it easier to control the vassal states of Siam, Annam and Burma. Especially at this time, the relationship between Burma and the Qing court was not very good, and the Qing court also sent troops to attack many times, and once there were soldiers and horses in Temasek, it could not only deter the other side, but even be able to carry out a north-south attack on Burma, which was conducive to the Qing court to stabilize the frontier, which was much better than directly sending troops to attack. Fourth, the countries of the South Seas, such as Sulu and other countries, have long admired the name of China, but they have always been bullied by Westerners for a long time, and it is difficult to send people to pay tribute. If the east-west shipping lanes are blocked, these foreigners can be restrained and prevented from doing anything wrong, so that we will be able to raise our prestige, promote all countries to come to the court, and show the prosperity of the times, which can increase the prestige of the imperial court in the hearts of the people and contribute to the stability of the country. Fifth, after Malacca, and then sail for a section is Tianzhu, that is the place where Tang Sanzang has been, if the imperial court can also send someone over, what kind of sensation will it cause in the world? Sixth, Nanyang is rich in products......

In the end, Yu Zhong said almost all the reasons he could think of, that might attract the attention of Kangxi or the ministers, and that could arouse various plots in their hearts, and that there was only one purpose, that is, to show one meaning: sending troops to Temasek is not troublesome, but also has a lot of benefits, such a good thing, if you don't do it, you are a fool!

……

"Your Majesty, the South China Sea is not only a vast territory, but also almost all kinds of forces are mixed in it, and the situation is extremely complicated. Although this matter seems to be significant, it is just an additional barracks for the imperial court. Servants can assert that the construction of a port in Temasek will not only fully cover all the costs of this barracks, but will even add to the treasury surplus! After saying a lot, Yu Zhong couldn't see anything from Kangxi's expression, and then looked at the figure standing next to Kangxi who had been slightly closed his eyes, slightly fat, and seemed to be napping, and he didn't say anything, he couldn't help but add a few more words.

"Lord Yu, does Temasek really have the location you are talking about?" Ma Qi saw that Kangxi didn't mean to speak, so he turned his head towards Yu Zhong and asked.

"That's nature. Until now, all ships from the East and West have passed through the Strait of Malacca. It was the closest route from the west to my east. Temasek is at the throat of Malacca, and if I don't occupy it, I will definitely be used by others in the future! Yu Zhong replied.

"How big is Temasek?" Lan Li asked.

"It's not big, it's probably only a few dozen miles in radius!" Yu Zhong thought for a moment and replied. Mo Jing has never been to Singapore, so he can only guess.

"Dozens of miles? Isn't that even a county? Lan Li arched his hand towards Kangxi again, and said: "Your Majesty, it doesn't matter if you send troops to that Tema Xichen or not, but even if you send them, there won't be many soldiers and horses living there, so the minister thinks that if Lord Yu really wants to divide something, the Fujian Navy Division can't be left behind!" ”

...... "Did this old man listen to Lao Tzu?" Why are you still aiming at Lao Tzu's boat? Yu Zhong rolled his eyes at Lan Li, this old guy is really persistent.

"Lord Lan is right. The emperor and the ministers also thought that Lord Yu seemed to be a little too impatient. Not to mention that Temasek is thousands of miles away from our Daqing Dynasty, so there will be no problem with stationing troops there. Just whether there is really such a good location there, it also needs to be investigated by the imperial court before a decision can be made. In this way, it will be at least a few years before everything is ready. Therefore, the minister thinks that the matter of sending troops to Temasek is better to talk about later! Wan Zhengse also said.

"Your Majesty, the slave has conducted an investigation and analysis of the coastal areas around the Qing Dynasty since he was appointed as the commander of the Vladivostok Navy, so the slave is completely sure that Temasek is definitely the throat of the East-West traffic." Yu Zhong glared at the two old men and said.

"Lord Yu, you are in Vladivostok, thousands of miles north of my Beihai, even if you can find out what Temasek is, how clear can you find out? Don't boast about Haikou! Besides, in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, pirates are rife, and my naval division is not familiar with the local environment, so I rashly send troops, who knows what will happen? So, even if you want to send troops, you have to figure everything out! Wan Zhengse said again.

"That's right. Although those pirates are not in the climate, these people are like wild wolves, and they cannot be guarded against. The southeast sea is even more rampant, if you want to send troops over, you must first have a perfect strategy. Lan Li also said.

"Two old generals, since you know that pirates are not a good climate, and even a larger merchant fleet does not dare to touch them, how do you know that they dare to trouble the sailors? What's more, except for the Fujian naval division, there are very few people in our dynasty who have experienced naval battles. Fighting pirates is just the right time to train soldiers to become an elite army. The two old generals had fought hard battles back then, fought for their lives, and were as bold as fighting, why do they seem a little timid today? Yu Zhong couldn't help but sneer.

"We're not cowardly, we're steady. Lord Yu, you are still too young! Lan Li stroked his white beard and said to Yu Zhong, choking Yu Zhong and wanting to beat people. Are you in your forties, still young? This old man is really not very authentic.

"Lord Shi, what do you think of this?" I couldn't communicate with the two old men, since the two old guys suddenly formed an alliance inexplicably, Yu Zhong also wanted to make a move together.

"This ...... Lord Yu, Shi still listens to the emperor! Shi Shifu smiled embarrassedly. He wasn't stupid, as soon as Yu Zhong revealed that he wanted to hand over the cannons to him, he knew that he was going to be in trouble, but in order to make his army a little higher, he still had a hard head. But now, Yu Zhong is thinking about asking him to send troops to occupy Temasek. If Temasek really has as important and advantageous terrain as Yu Zhong said, and occupying it is equivalent to holding the door between the East and the West, then he can be absolutely sure that he will be the first of the five major sailors in the future. However, although Yu Zhong did not say it explicitly, since he said that he hid those warship guns in order to hide from the Westerners, then this guy must have thought that one day he would have a naval battle with the Westerners. This cannot be hidden. Not to mention whether this day will come, if there is a real war? Who will be the most likely to be at war with the Westerners? There is no need to ask this question, only the South China Sea Sailors who occupy Temasek. How can this make Lan Li and Wan Zhengse, the two veterans of the water division, stand it? At that time, if the Nanhai sailors win, they will be much more likely to go home for the elderly. Even if you don't want this, just having a fight but not being able to get it is enough to make these two warlike old men anxious. What's more, the battle between Yu Zhong and Japan not long ago had already stimulated them severely. That's almost a battle to "destroy the country". Destroying a country and hitting the capital of the other side, this kind of feat, which general does not dream of? That's why they are so anxious to "share" Yu Zhong's "family property" and prevent Yu Zhong from advising Kangxi. Because the current East China Sea and North Sea Divisions are not able to go out to the ocean to fight on a large scale, especially the North Sea Division, even the officers and soldiers of the Navy Division have not been trained well. Their purpose in doing this must be to increase the strength of their sailors, and strive to join the battle that might occur after they have formed their combat power. This is for their own sake and for the sake of their soldiers. Therefore, at this moment, he would never risk the attack of these two old men with pink eye to help Yu Zhong, and he could not be killed.

"You ......" Shi Shifat's performance made Yu Zhong very frustrated, and whoever said that Shi Shifat was Shi Shilun's brother in the future would be in a hurry! The two of them don't look like each other at all!

"Yu Zhong, what you said is not wrong, it is all for the sake of the future of the imperial court, I am very comforted, but sending troops to station far away is indeed a matter of great importance, and I need to consult with the ministers of the court before I can make a decision. Let's put this matter aside for the time being, and let's discuss it later! Perhaps thinking that several courtiers were almost fighting, Kangxi opened his mouth and said with a smile towards Yu Zhong.

"The emperor has orders, and the servants should obey them. However, Your Majesty, the slave still has a word! Yu Zhong said.

"Anything else? Then you can talk about it! Kangxi smiled.

"Your Majesty, do you know that there is a rule that has been popular in the world over the years?" Yu Zhong asked.

"Rules? What rules? Gao Shiqi asked.

"It's a rule set by Westerners. To put it simply, it's 'first come, first served'. Yu Zhong replied.

"First come, first served?"

"That's right. That's it, first come, first served! Europa is not vast, it is not abundant, and it is divided into dozens or hundreds of countries, so none of them can be considered a big country. However, although the territory of their own country is only a small amount of land, they sail around and explore according to this rule, and the land they occupy is probably wider than that of several Qing Dynasty! Yu Zhong said in a deep voice.

"These are the work of barbarians. I am so vast and rich, how can I compare with the countries of Europa? Let alone...... The land of barbarians has not been civilized, so it is better not to occupy it! Ma Qi held back for a moment and said lightly.

Ma Xiang's words are wrong. The land of barbarians is indeed a land of barbarians, but, Ma Xiang, do you know how big our land is in the Qing Dynasty? How many people can cultivate enough arable land now? With the momentum that every child in every family is two or three, five or six, seven or eight, or even more and more, how many years of land is enough for these people to plant? Yu Zhong squinted and asked.

“……”

"The land occupied by the landlords and gentry of our dynasty can range from hundreds of thousands of acres to tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of acres, but what about the people? Ma Xiang, more than ninety percent of my Qing Dynasty are ordinary people, these people, once they have no land to plant and no food to eat, they will be the source of turmoil! ”

"Yu Zhong, Jun prelude is right, don't be presumptuous!" Zhang Tingyu suddenly shouted.

"The Emperor's ......"

Yu Zhong lifted his official robe, knelt down in front of Kangxi, and looked sincere. The others looked at him and were silent. Who would have thought that Yu Zhong would actually lead the conversation here again? Those present were all knowledgeable people, and naturally knew that this was a problem that was difficult to solve in all dynasties. Can you hear this meaning, is it trying to encourage the imperial court to expand outward to supply the people with land?

"That might be the way to go! I'm afraid it's a bit of a hassle to do. Shi Shili glanced at each other with Lan Li and Wan Zhengse, and thought secretly.

"No wonder Yu Zhong has to grab that Hokkaido, and he almost flattened the capital for this, it turned out that he had this kind of thought." Mazzie thought to himself. He suddenly felt that he might have a successor, the big guys were all Fucha clan, and it was enough for Yu Zhong to enter the study just by thinking so long-term. It's just that...... I don't know if he can wait until that day!

"......" No one could figure out what Gao Shiqi and Zhang Tingyu were thinking, both of them drooped their eyelids, as if they wanted to sleep. In addition to the three ministers in the upper study, the other person who was standing beside Kangxi, who had been slightly closed his eyes as if he was dozing, opened a pair of seemingly dim eyes and stared at Yu Zhong up and down, but he only looked at it for a while, and then closed his eyelids again.

……

"Yu Zhong, you just said that you only need to report one sentence, but now it is several sentences at once, this is a suspicion of 'bullying the king'. You say, "What should I say about you?" Kangxi glanced at Yu Zhong with a little meaning, then shook his head with a smile and said.

"Slaves are guilty, but the emperor will deal with them!" Yu Zhong bowed his head and replied.

"Oh? Do you really think so? Kangxi asked with a smile.

"Slaves don't dare to bully the king." Yu Zhongjiao said.

"Hehe, you mean something! However, since you have confessed your guilt, I have no choice but to punish you for the sake of the laws of the country! Kangxi smiled again, ignoring the bones in Yu Zhong's words, and turned his head to the person who had been slightly closed his eyes just now, standing beside him with Ma Qi, Gao Shiqi and the other three people, and asked, "Feiyanggu, what do you think I have assigned Yu Zhongfa to your army to serve?" ”