My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Behind the rice were all sorts of exotic treasures from overseas.

There are all kinds of spices, emitting a rich and unique aroma that is intoxicating.

It contains precious woods and spices such as sappanwood and agarwood, which are hard in texture, have clear grain, and exude a simple and elegant atmosphere.

There were even cars made of silver that shimmered with a silvery light and cars made of gold that shimmered with a golden light.

The gold and silver shone brightly in the sunlight, like clusters of dazzling stars.

These items were loaded full onto horse-drawn carriages and oxcarts, without any concealment, and then appeared openly on the streets of the capital.

More importantly, this is not all of it. After all, there was just too much grain and other stuff transported back this time. It would take seven or eight trips to haul it all away!
Upon witnessing this scene, the surrounding people widened their eyes in disbelief.

After all, they had never seen such a scene in their lives!

Although I had heard of various rare treasures overseas before, this was the first time I had actually seen them with my own eyes.

However, at this moment, no one dared to make any moves on these things. After all, the escorts were the Fujian Navy and the Tianjin Navy, all of whom were strong and sturdy, with fierce and vigilant expressions in their eyes.

Moreover, once inside the city, the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Five Cities Garrison would be there to protect them from the front and back. Anyone who dared to take a step forward would be immediately hacked to death.

The people aren't fools, so naturally they wouldn't do something so stupid.

"My God, so much rice! Where did you get all this?"

A young man stared wide-eyed, his face full of surprise.

"I don't know, but judging from their appearance, they should be a navy, right? Could these things have been transported from overseas? Are there really this many grains overseas?"

Another villager scratched his head and asked in confusion.

"You don't know this, do you? This merchant caravan belongs to the Fujian Navy. They went overseas to do business on His Majesty's orders, which is how they obtained so much grain. With this grain, I reckon the price of grain in our capital should come down a bit."

An inconspicuous 'commoner' next to him chimed in.

"That's right. With more supplies, prices will be cheaper, which is great for us! We won't have to spend so much money on food anymore, and we can eat cheaper meals."

Immediately afterwards, an even more inconspicuous 'commoner' spoke up.

In an instant, the surrounding crowd became even more excited.

But some people are puzzled.

"But speaking of which, wasn't the Ming Dynasty supposed to have a maritime ban? How come there's still so much grain being transported from overseas?"

"Are you stupid?! Our Ming Dynasty stopped banning the seas a long time ago. Haven't you heard about the opening of the seas during the Longqing era? Besides, if we can buy cheap grain from overseas and make money, why ban the seas?"

"Yes, yes, yes. Why does the court ban the sea if we can bring grain back from overseas? I've heard that the court has been bringing grain from overseas for two years. If it weren't for this grain, we would have starved to death long ago. Even the grain we're eating now comes from overseas."

An old man selling vegetables chimed in.

"If that's the case, I feel that it would be better if the imperial court could lift all the sea bans. Then there would be more and more grain and more and more goods, and our lives would get better and better."

A handsome-looking man spoke up.

"Well, what you're saying actually makes some sense!"

Immediately, the surrounding people nodded in agreement.

Before long, people all over the capital began to whisper among themselves, talking about things overseas.

Of course, Zhu Cilang was also involved in this.

Because Zhu Cilang sent some Imperial Guards to mingle among the people, secretly guiding public opinion, and then occasionally making statements favorable to the opening of the sea, thus shifting the tide toward the opening of the sea.

In addition, opening up the sea is beneficial to the people. After all, who wouldn't want to have cheaper food and more goods to choose from?
Therefore, the matter quickly began to spread in the capital, and more and more people started to discuss it.

It won't be long before the streets and alleys of the capital begin to talk about the opening of the fishing season, and by then the public opinion foundation for opening the fishing season will be more or less established.

Before long, news of the Zheng family's caravan entering the capital reached the ears of the civil and military officials in the capital.

A new storm surrounding the opening of the sea is quietly brewing in the capital.
The scene shifts to the Ministry of Revenue.

At this moment, the Ministry of Revenue was bustling with activity. Officials were either writing furiously at their desks, dealing with mountains of accounts and documents, or talking in hushed tones, discussing the progress of various matters.

The air was filled with the faint scent of ink and paper, mixed with the occasional whispers, creating a busy yet somewhat oppressive atmosphere.

Just then, a figure rushed into the Ministry of Revenue like a wild horse.

The man's clothes were slightly disheveled, his hair was blown about by the wind, and his face was full of panic and anxiety.

He walked briskly, his gaze fixed on Ni Yuanlu's official residence ahead, attracting the attention of surrounding officials along the way.

Everyone was curious about his appearance, but knowing that he was not of low status, they did not stop him.

At this moment, Ni Yuanlu was sitting at his desk in the government office, his brows furrowed, racking his brains about how to persuade the other six ministers to agree to open the sea.

This matter has clearly become a heavy burden on his mind.

The next second, the reckless figure rushed into the government office, his hurried steps creating a gust of wind.

Then he shouted loudly:
"My lord, my lord, the grain from overseas has arrived!"

The sound echoed in the quiet government office, sounding particularly abrupt.

Upon hearing this, Ni Yuanlu slowly raised her head, her eyes calm as still water, and then said softly:

"understood."

The tone made it sound as if the matter was nothing more than a trivial, ordinary thing.

The official who came to deliver the news was immediately dumbfounded. His eyes widened, and his face was full of disbelief.

Before this, my family had been so worried about the overseas food issue that they couldn't sleep, sighing all day long, their brows never relaxed.

But why are you so calm after hearing this news?
Did you not hear me clearly?
Thinking of this, he composed himself and then repeated it again.

"My lord, the overseas grain transported by the Zheng family that I mentioned has arrived. In addition to the grain, there is also a lot of gold, silver and rare treasures."

Ni Yuanlu raised her head again, still expressionless, and said calmly:

"Didn't I already say? I already know. You may leave."

The sound was so calm and still, like a bottomless lake.

The official who came to deliver the message was completely dumbfounded.

He stood there blankly, opening his mouth as if to say something, but not knowing how to begin, and could only retreat dejectedly.

Just then, Ni Yuanlu suddenly turned to some officials who were busy working nearby and said:

"You may all leave as well. I need some peace and quiet."

Upon hearing this, the officials quickly stopped what they were doing, bowed, and then filed out. Soon, only Ni Yuanlu remained in the entire government office, the only sound being his soft breathing.

Immediately afterwards, Ni Yuanlu rubbed her temples, looking helpless.

He had heard everything clearly, but because of Zhu Cilang's prior notification, he was not surprised by the matter.

Moreover, he knew that once the grain arrived in the capital, he would have to take action.

After all, news about what happened overseas would spread throughout the capital city today, and the matter could no longer be kept secret.

At the same time, the news was also received by various government offices in the capital, causing another sensation.

The ministers sat together, whispering among themselves, their faces full of worry.

They probably knew what this meant; it was nothing more than the emperor creating public opinion to take the opportunity to open the seas.

In their view, this is something that absolutely cannot be done!
This is because it means breaking the existing order and facing many unknown risks, which is undoubtedly a huge challenge for ministers who are used to following the established procedures and protecting existing interests.

Time flies, and night falls in the blink of an eye.

In the streets and alleys of Beijing, the flickering lights reflect the busy yet anxious figures of people.

That evening, officials in the capital were unusually close. After finishing their official business, many officials gathered in groups to discuss the events of the day.

Inside the restaurant, in a private room, officials sat together, the table laden with fine wines and delicacies, yet none of them had the heart to taste them.

Their faces were solemn, and the conversation revolved entirely around the opening of the fishing season.

Someone frowned, looking worried, and said:

"If this opening of the seas is really implemented, it will probably cause a lot of trouble."

The other person nodded in agreement:
"Yes! How can the imperial court compete with the people for profit? Besides, if all the people go overseas to do business, who will farm the land?"

Similarly, the homes of Minister of Revenue Ni Yuanlu and Grand Secretary Xue Guoguan were also completely blocked by people.

After all, one of them was the Minister of Revenue, who controlled the country's finances, and the other was the Grand Secretary, the head of the civil officials, and the emperor's lackey.

Surely these two couldn't have been completely unaware of what happened?

They desperately wanted to know what the emperor meant. Did he really intend to open the seas again? That was absolutely out of the question!

Unfortunately, they did not get to meet Ni Yuanlu and Xue Guoguan in person.

Because at this very moment, the two of them are enjoying tea in a private place.

This is a secluded villa belonging to the Xue family, located in the southwest of the capital, in a tranquil environment.

Originally, it was a property under the name of Xue Guoguan's son, but since his son was not in the capital, it became Xue Guoguan's quiet retreat.

Whenever he encountered something troubling, Xue Guoguan would always come here, alone or with a few close friends, to enjoy tea and discuss philosophy, thus relieving his worries. Therefore, not many people knew about it; only a few of his family and friends knew.

Xue Guoguan and Ni Yuanlu had been here for some time, and they had already discussed how to persuade the other ministers and cabinet ministers.

At this moment, both of their faces showed a solemnity, yet also a hint of determination.

Not long after, more footsteps were heard, and then a group of people came together.

It was the other five ministers and three cabinet ministers who were clearly invited by Xue Guoguan.

The ministers probably guessed what it was about, so none of them refused and they rushed over immediately.

After all, the opening of the sea route is a matter of great importance, affecting the whole situation, and they cannot afford to take it lightly.

Seeing this, Xue Guoguan and Ni Yuanlu quickly stood up and bowed to the group, saying:
"Everyone has arrived, please have a seat, please have a seat."

Their voices were gentle and respectful, demonstrating excellent hospitality.

Seeing this, the people's expressions of confusion deepened.

They didn't expect Ni Yuanlu to have arrived so early, and it seemed she had been there for quite some time.

It's clear that this invitation wasn't just extended by Xue Guoguan, but also by Ni Yuanlu.

This made them even more convinced that the two of them must already know what had happened during the day, but were just deliberately hiding it from them.

But they didn't ask any questions first; instead, they each sat down.

And so, almost all the core ministers of the entire Ming Dynasty gathered in this small villa.

To be honest, if the emperor saw this, he would be terrified.

Because under normal circumstances, such gatherings of ministers would not be allowed, as they would inevitably be suspected of forming cliques.

Moreover, these are all high-ranking officials; if they were to form a faction, even the emperor would probably have trouble sleeping at night.

Because once the balance of power in the court is broken, it will trigger a series of unpredictable consequences.

Xue Guoguan was naturally aware of this, so when he invited them, he specifically mentioned that the matters to be discussed had already been informed to His Majesty and the Crown Prince, including the fact that His Majesty and the Crown Prince were aware of this invitation.

That's why these ministers dared to come together.

After a moment, Li Banghua, the Minister of War, broke the silence.

He picked up his teacup, took a small sip, then put it down and looked at Xue Guoguan and Ni Yuanlu, asking:
"Chief Minister Xue, Minister Ni, what exactly happened today? Tell me! Did you two already know about this?"

"What exactly is the emperor planning this time? Does he want to open up the seas?"

When Li Banghua opened his mouth, he essentially asked all the questions. His voice echoed clearly in the pavilion.

Ni Yuanlu and Xue Guoguan exchanged a glance, and finally both nodded silently.

Ni Yuanlu cleared her throat and said:

"Minister Li guessed correctly. His Majesty does indeed intend to open the seas, which is why the events of the day occurred."

really!

Upon hearing this, everyone present instantly realized that they had guessed correctly!

Li Banghua was also somewhat excited. As a southerner, he knew the benefits of opening up the sea.

He then stood up and said, quite excitedly:

"If the imperial court can truly lift the maritime ban, then our Great Ming will surely be able to acquire more overseas wealth, and the lives of the people will get better and better."

His eyes gleamed, as if he could already see the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty after the opening of the seas.

Xue Guoguan and Ni Yuanlu exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised, as neither of them had expected Li Banghua to be the first to stand up and support Kaihai. (End of Chapter)