Ming Dynasty: The Jingnan Rebellion has just been successful, and Zhu Yuanzhang has been resurrected

Upon hearing Zhu Yunwen's words, everyone was taken aback.

"What's going on? Where does His Majesty get his confidence from?"

"Your Majesty has such confidence in Ma Sanbao. Is Ma Sanbao some kind of maritime genius?"

"Something's wrong, something's very wrong, what's going on?"

"Could it be that Ma Sanbao is the one who bewitched His Majesty about this sea voyage? A mere eunuch dares to dream of commanding thousands of soldiers and even the Ming Dynasty's navy! He really dares to dream big!"

"Although Ma Sanbao has been by His Majesty's side for many years, if it is truly him who instigated His Majesty to embark on the voyage, I will never let him off easily."

"Since Your Majesty has so much confidence in Ma Sanbao, why not give it a try?"

"."

Various thoughts arose in everyone's minds. Since Zhu Yunwen had already said so, it would really be a bit inappropriate for them to continue to disagree.

Moreover, they had to consider Ma Sanbao's position in Zhu Yunwen's heart. After three years of being confined within the high walls of Fengyang, it was easy to see how important Ma Sanbao was to Zhu Yunwen.

In addition, Zhu Yunwen said that it was a competition, and that Ma Sanbao had to prove that he had enough ability. This would at least give the voyage more security.

Although they suspected that the voyage might have been orchestrated by Ma Sanbao to seduce Zhu Yunwen, they naturally didn't want to say anything more if Ma Sanbao truly had the ability.

Xia Yuanji took a deep breath, looked at Zhu Yunwen, and asked, "Your Majesty, was it Eunuch Ma who proposed the idea of ​​sailing?"

"Swish swish swish!" Upon hearing Xia Yuanji's words, everyone looked up at Zhu Yunwen.

This is also a very important issue.

If Ma Sanbao was the one who proposed sailing, then putting aside everything else, at least one thing can be confirmed: Ma Sanbao was definitely a restless person.

Having someone like that by Zhu Yunwen's side is not a good thing.

At that time, they might try to get rid of Ma Sanbao to prevent the Ming Dynasty from being harmed by him in the end.

"No!" Zhu Yunwen shook his head and said, "I was the one who proposed the navigation project. As for Sanbao, I only discovered his talent for navigation by chance, so I decided to entrust it to him."

Although Zhu Yunwen was unaware of Xia Yuanji and the others' thoughts, he was not someone who dared not take responsibility. The voyage had absolutely nothing to do with Ma Sanbao; he was the one who single-handedly brought it together.

He had clearly seen the obstacles they had encountered at sea, and his words had been repeatedly dissuaded by the cabinet members. Under these circumstances, if everything were placed on Ma Sanbao, he could guess the general outcome: Ma Sanbao would definitely be targeted by the cabinet.

In a more serious scenario, Ma Sanbao could even die.

Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, and the others were speechless upon hearing Zhu Yuntong's words.

They didn't know whether Zhu Yuntong had seen through their thoughts and wanted to cover for Ma Sanbao, or whether all of this was, as Zhu Yuntong said, completely unrelated to Ma Sanbao, and that Ma Sanbao was simply doing what Zhu Yuntong instructed.

However, they will definitely continue to investigate this matter until it is finally determined that Ma Sanbao is innocent.

Zhu Yunwen had no idea what Xia Yuanji and the others were thinking. However, even if he did know, it wouldn't matter. He wasn't lying at all, and this matter really had nothing to do with Ma Sanbao.

“Your Majesty, we must prioritize everything. Right now, we must first deal with the situation in Annam,” Xie Jin said.

He worried that the sea voyage would distract Zhu Yunwen from too many other matters, potentially causing problems in the Annam campaign.

“I know that,” Zhu Yunwen said softly.

Suddenly, an idea popped into Zhu Yunwen's mind, and he said to Xia Yuanji and the others, "My dear ministers, I have suddenly thought of something, and I would like you to take a look at it."

"Huh?" Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, and the others were all taken aback when they heard Zhu Yunwen's words.

They turned to look at Zhu Yuntong, unable to tell whether his mood was just a whim or a deliberate act.

At this moment, a sense of panic gripped them, fearing that Zhu Yunwen would pull off another voyage-like incident.

However, no matter how uneasy they were, they had to listen attentively, since Zhu Yunwen had already spoken.

Although they are cabinet ministers, the power of the cabinet ministers in the Ming Dynasty today is clearly no longer able to suppress the imperial power as it has in history.

Zhu Yunwen didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "I think our Great Ming can issue some paper money to replace the gold and silver circulating in the market."

Printing money is something every powerful dynasty needs to consider. Of course, this is something that must be done with the dynasty's credibility as a foundation. Now that the Ming Dynasty is growing stronger step by step, the design of the Ming Treasure Note must be put on the agenda as soon as possible.

Zhu Yunwen had always harbored an idea: to have the Ming Dynasty's paper money purchased and used worldwide. In that scenario, it would be difficult for the Ming Dynasty not to take off.

In comparison, traditional gold and silver items could not exert the same influence as the Ming Dynasty paper money; the two are not the same thing at all.

Unlike gold and silver, which simply have purchasing power, the Ming Dynasty's paper money, once it spread, also carries significant strategic importance.

Think about it: if the whole world accepts the Ming Dynasty's paper money, and then the Ming Dynasty runs out of money to print more, the consequences will befall the whole world. In that case, would the Ming Dynasty possibly be poor?
Naturally it is impossible.

Of course, to achieve all this, the Ming Dynasty would need to be powerful enough, since the Ming Dynasty's paper money was based on the Ming Dynasty's reputation.

If the Ming Dynasty's strength is insufficient to support it, then the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes will depreciate instantly; if the Ming Dynasty declines, then the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes will become worthless.

"Printing money?" Everyone was stunned when they heard Zhu Yunwen's words.

They felt they couldn't keep up with Zhu Yunwen's rapid shifts in thought; one second they were talking about navigation, and the next they were discussing printing money.

No, what's the connection between navigation and printing money?

Of course, there is a connection. To a certain extent, the ultimate goal of navigation was to make the Ming Dynasty's banknotes circulate worldwide, but people in this era simply cannot see this aspect.

Undeniably, Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, Hu Ying, Yang Shiqi, Fang Xiaoru, Yao Guangxiao, and others were all outstanding figures in their time. Yet, even they couldn't see what lay hidden behind navigation. This was unavoidable; people of that era were filled with fear of the sea and had absolutely no understanding of it. Under such circumstances, how could they possibly broaden their horizons to the world? It was asking the impossible.

Zhu Yunwen looked at the group of people who were sullen, thought for a moment, and decided to provoke them. He said, "I think that if one day, the Ming Dynasty banknotes we print can circulate directly to the grasslands, Annam and other dynasties, then our Ming Dynasty will take off completely."

"The Ming Dynasty's paper money circulated to the grasslands, Annam, and other places!" Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, and the others paused upon hearing this, their minds subconsciously making connections as Zhu Yunwen spoke.

The next second, a series of rapid breaths rose and fell, and Xia Yuanji and the others' eyes shone with fervor. They knew very well what the scene Zhu Yuntong had described meant.

Printing money! Once it's printed, you can buy all sorts of things. That's insane!

"Could the Ming Dynasty's paper money really circulate in the grasslands and Annam (Vietnam)?"

"If the Ming Dynasty's paper money could circulate in the grasslands, Annam, and other places, what would the Ming Dynasty be like then?"

"The circulation of the Ming Dynasty's precious paper money in the grasslands and Annam sounds fantastic, but achieving it would be incredibly difficult!"

"Your Majesty's ambition is truly boundless. The Ming Dynasty's paper money is circulating in the grasslands and Annam—such a thing is something we wouldn't even dare to dream of!"

"."

Various thoughts raced through everyone's minds; at this moment, they were all stunned by Zhu Yunwen.

They all clearly understood that the circulation of the Ming Dynasty's paper money to the grasslands and Annam was not simply a matter of currency exchange; it also involved an invisible form of coercion.

"Your Majesty, can the Ming Dynasty's paper money really circulate in the grasslands and Annam?" Xie Jin asked Zhu Yunwen with anticipation.

Zhu Yunwen nodded and said, "Of course, I am confident in this!"

The circulation of the Ming Dynasty's paper money was certainly not smooth sailing, but this was not a major problem. The Ming Dynasty's powerful military strength was able to support the circulation of the paper money, and as people gradually got used to it, it naturally began to circulate.

Of course, once the Ming Dynasty demonstrates its formidable fighting power, many regions will likely be eager to use the Ming Dynasty's precious currency!

"This..." Xia Yuanji and the others were all incredibly surprised to see the strong confidence on Zhu Yunwen's face.

They were somewhat puzzled by Zhu Yunwen's confidence, but after their initial doubts, they were all more or less influenced by him and began to imagine the Ming Dynasty's paper money circulating in the grasslands, Annam, and other places.

"This matter is extremely important. Your cabinet should handle it entirely. Make sure to make all necessary preparations, and, if possible, make the Ming Dynasty banknotes as exquisite as possible," Zhu Yunwen said.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Xia Yuanji and the others replied respectfully.

Unlike navigation, the benefits of the Ming Dynasty's paper money are quite obvious. Moreover, the grasslands have now been conquered by the Ming Dynasty, and Annam is about to fall into its hands. Under these circumstances, once the paper money is printed, it can be put into circulation.

"Go!" Zhu Yunhuan waved his hand.

After chatting for most of the day, he was starting to feel tired.

The good news is that he doesn't need to worry about these things; he only needs to provide a general direction, and the rest will be handled by his subordinates.

This is also where he differs from Zhu Yuanzhang. He doesn't have such a strong desire to control power. As long as everything goes according to his will, that's fine. As for court officials wanting a certain amount of power, that's no problem.

"We take our leave!" Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin, and the others cupped their hands in greeting, turned around, and walked away.

Their visit to Zhu Yunwen this time left them with mixed feelings, a mixture of joy and sorrow.

They were reluctant to go on a voyage, but Zhu Yunwen's attitude was very firm, which made them very uncomfortable. However, the matter of the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes excited them all.

In the courtyard!
News of the navigation and the Ming Dynasty's paper money soon reached Zhu Yuanzhang's ears.

Jiang Huan stood respectfully beside Zhu Yuanzhang, his heart filled with utter astonishment.

Both the matter of navigation and the Ming Dynasty's precious paper money were beyond his imagination; he could never have imagined such things.

But Zhu Yunwen did both things, and did two things at once.

Zhu Yuanzhang remained calm, took a deep breath, and said, "You control the Embroidered Uniform Guard. What exactly is the situation with that guy Ma Sanbao? Was the voyage Ma Sanbao's instigation, or Yunzhi's own idea?"

Subconsciously, he also began to suspect Ma Sanbao.

This is quite normal. Ma Sanbao was a eunuch. It would be crazy to let a eunuch build the Ming Dynasty navy and serve as its commander.

Jiang Huan said, "Your Majesty, this matter should be the intention of the grandson of the Emperor, Yun Tong."

As far as he knew, although Ma Sanbao was deeply trusted by Zhu Yunwen, it was simply impossible for him to influence Zhu Yunwen through his words.

"Yun Tong means... there is a great deal of wealth at sea," Zhu Yuanzhang frowned.

In his heart, he always felt that seafaring was a very unreliable thing. Of course, the lesson of the fall of the Yuan Dynasty was also having a huge impact on him.

If the maritime trade of the Ming Dynasty were to flourish, would it lead to some major upheavals, or even affect the very foundation of the nation?
He thought about this matter for a long time, but ultimately he didn't get any answer. Although he was very wary of maritime trade when the Yuan Dynasty fell and took it as a warning, he actually didn't have a deep understanding of maritime trade.

Upon learning that maritime trade could potentially destabilize the dynasty, he immediately suppressed the matter.

After a moment of silence, he remembered the second thing, and a smile appeared on his face: "The Ming Dynasty's paper money is circulating in the grasslands and Annam. That kid Yuntong really dares to dream!"

Such lofty ambitions indicate a far greater level of aspiration than he possessed.

As the founding emperor, he was unwilling to see a mediocre person among his descendants. Zhu Yunwen had previously proven his abilities, and now he was demonstrating his ambition through the Da Ming Baochao incident.

What heights can an ambitious and capable successor lead the team to? (End of Chapter)