My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 234 The Crown Prince's Southeast Asian Strategy

East Palace.

The Imperial Household Department gradually became busy, as the lectures at the Eastern Palace, which had been suspended due to the cold weather, were to resume.

Little Fatty Jun doesn't dislike lecturing.

The Crown Prince's teaching materials included "Illustrated Explanation of Imperial Admonitions" compiled by Luo Wanhua.

This book, which lists the great achievements of wise rulers and the evil deeds of foolish rulers in ancient times, is richly illustrated. In order to attract the attention of the little fat boy, the teachers would also insert many historical stories.

This is much more interesting than the preaching of the Four Books and Five Classics.

However, for Zhu Yijun, Su Ze's lectures were the most interesting.

Su Ze walked into Minglun Hall. Before the New Year, the Eastern Palace had removed the charts of various shops in the capital and replaced them with a huge nautical chart.

This is a global nautical chart meticulously proofread by Su Ze. He reads every issue of the "Yuefu Xinbao" about overseas countries, and he even cuts out the newspaper articles and pastes them onto the country color blocks on the map.

The Portuguese, Spain, the Ottoman Empire, India, and the Netherlands—these are all countries that have been reported in the newspapers.

In addition, Zhu Yijun instructed the Hanlin scholars to find records from the time of Zheng He's voyages during the reign of Emperor Chengzu in the Hanlin Academy's archives, and to mark all the countries in Southeast Asia on the records.

When Li Wenquan, the emperor's brother-in-law, was in Penghu, he would sometimes go to the port of Guangzhou to meet with foreign merchants. Li Wenquan would send the news he heard to Zhu Yijun.

All of this brought Zhu Yijun new enjoyment.

Zhu Yijun learned to deduce the current situation in Southeast Asia from these written materials.

For example, Malacca.

During Zheng He's voyages to the Western Ocean, a military town was established in Malacca. The Ming Dynasty navy built fortifications and warehouses in Malacca in the Strait of Malacca, using it as a transit point for its operations in the Western Ocean.

After the Ming Dynasty imposed a maritime ban, Malacca lost its status as a transit point, and the Ming court lost its intelligence on Southeast Asia.

During the Zhengde era, the Portuguese occupied Malacca and impersonated Malacca envoys to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty, attempting to trade with the Ming Dynasty through a shell company.

However, the King of Malacca fled to the capital to lodge a complaint, the Portuguese plan was exposed, and the Portuguese envoy was expelled.

Malacca is now under the control of the Portuguese, and it is the most important base for the Portuguese in Southeast Asia. The Portuguese built ports, plantations, and artillery factories here, and also set up a governor's office to manage it.

These messages were all deduced by Zhu Yijun based on a compilation of information.

After listening to Zhu Yijun's speculation, Su Ze couldn't help but look at this young crown prince with new respect.

The fact that Xiao Pangjun can find the truth amidst the chaos of news is quite remarkable, demonstrating his remarkable political intuition.

Having received praise from Su Ze, Zhu Yijun intensified his efforts to gather intelligence on Southeast Asia.

After Su Ze entered the Minglun Hall, Zhu Yijun immediately said:

"Master Su! I believe the Spanish and the Portuguese are destined for war!"

Su Ze was somewhat surprised and asked:

"Why does Your Highness say this?"

Zhu Yijun said:
"Master Su said that although these Western barbarians may look similar, they each belong to different groups and cannot be regarded as a monolithic entity!"

Su Ze nodded. Zhu Yijun's understanding of this was already beyond that of 99% of the people in the capital.

Many merchants traveled to Southeast Asia and did business with these Western merchants, but they couldn't unravel the complex relationships between these Westerners.

Zhu Yijun said:
"The Portuguese operated the Eastern trade route, heading east from Europe in search of spices, eventually reaching Malacca, where they discovered a trade route with our Great Ming Dynasty."

"The Spanish, however, took a different route, heading west from Europe to the South, where they established numerous colonies."

"And as you said, Master Su, the Earth we live on is round, so these Spaniards continued westward and discovered a sea route to the South Seas, which is the monsoon route."

Su Ze nodded with satisfaction. These were all things Su Ze had told Xiao Pang Jun, but Xiao Pang Jun was able to remember them so well, which made Su Ze, as his teacher, feel very accomplished.

Zhu Yijun continued:
“Master Su said that the South Continent is rich in gold and silver, but if all the gold and silver were transported back to Spain, it would be a disaster.”

Su Ze countered with a question:
"Does Your Highness remember why?"

Zhu Yijun recited from memory:

"Master Su said that the value of gold and silver is given by people. If there is too much gold and silver, prices will skyrocket and people will suffer. So having only gold and silver is not enough."

“Master Su, you also said that the goods are more important than gold and silver.”

Su Ze praised with satisfaction:

"Your Highness still remembers my words, I am overjoyed."

Monetary theory is far too complex, and Su Ze didn't expect Zhu Yijun to understand it. The fact that he can now memorize it is enough to show that Little Fatty Jun has put in a lot of hard work.

Su Ze also discovered that, perhaps inheriting his grandfather's genes, Xiao Pangjun was very sensitive to money.

Therefore, compared to his father, Emperor Jun, Xiao Pangjun was better able to understand the logic of these Westerners, because they prioritized their own interests.

Zhu Yijun continued:
"Therefore, the Spanish wanted to transport gold and silver to Southeast Asia, exchange them for goods from our Great Ming Dynasty, and then transport them back to Europe."

Su Ze nodded in satisfaction.

Simply put, the Spanish monarchs understood that the influx of large amounts of gold and silver would cause inflation in Europe, which was still at the tail end of the Middle Ages and simply could not absorb so much currency.

At this time, due to the rapid development of the commodity economy and the extreme lack of currency, the Ming Dynasty became a region where the Spanish dumped silver.

It was this historical opportunity that led to the rise of Spain as the first empire on which the sun never set.

Ming Dynasty goods sold very well in Europe, which boosted luxury consumption among the upper class. This had a much smaller impact than the large amounts of gold and silver being shipped back to Europe.

Zhu Yijun said, "Malacca is the crossroads of East and West trade routes and the key to Southeast Asia. Although the Portuguese are currently allowing the Spanish to pass through, they will inevitably have to fight sooner or later!"

Zhu Yijun added:

“I just received a letter from my uncle. The Portuguese in Langbai'ao have obediently left, and they didn't go back to Luzon, but to Malacca.”

"My uncle also said that he hadn't seen any Spanish ships in Guangzhou during this period, so I speculated that the Portuguese might have blockaded Malacca to prevent the Spanish from coming to Guangzhou."

"If that's the case, then the Portuguese and the Spanish will have to fight!"

Su Ze looked at Zhu Yijun with some surprise.

He used the [Memory Palace Sachet] to sort through his memories before time travel, and found that the Portuguese and Spanish did indeed fight a war on the historical timeline before time travel.

However, upon closer examination, Zhu Yijun's deductions based on this intelligence are quite reasonable.

With its own intervention, Longqing opened the sea to a greater extent this time, not only opening Yuegang, but also ports such as Quanzhou and Guangzhou.

Moreover, this time when the Ming Dynasty opened its ports, there were no restrictions on ships docking. Any merchant ship could abide by the Ming Dynasty's system, pay taxes at Ming ports, and trade with the Ming Dynasty.

This allowed the Portuguese, who were the first to operate in the Far East, to make a fortune. Su Ze also heard that the Portuguese had returned Macau and Langbai Island, completely withdrawing from these outposts, all to avoid provoking the Ming Dynasty and to do business with them properly.

Driven by such enormous profits, the Spanish had no reason not to be envious.

Yes, Malacca is the most important node in Southeast Asian trade, and with Spain's current strong naval power, it will definitely compete with the Portuguese for it.

Zhu Yijun added:

"The other captain, De Vries, the Dutch captain who defected to the Ottomans, said that the Ottomans also have their eyes on Malacca and have already sent a fleet to Malacca."

Zhu Yijun kept rubbing his hands together and said:

"Master Su, do you mean that our Great Ming Dynasty is just going to stand by and watch these barbarian tribes vie for vassal states in Southeast Asia?"

Su Ze sighed and said:

“Your Highness, the South Seas are not coastal waters, and the navy of our Great Ming has no advantage here. These Western barbarians have been operating in the South Seas for many years, and they will not be so easy to conquer.”

Hearing this, Zhu Yijun also felt somewhat discouraged.

He was very interested in the sea, and listening to Su Ze describe the customs and culture of such overseas countries made Zhu Yijun feel as if he were there.

The more Zhu Yijun learned about the sea, the more he felt that the South Seas were extremely important to the Ming Dynasty!
These islands in the South Seas served as a barrier for the Ming Dynasty's maritime borders. The sugarcane, spices, and even grains produced on these islands were extremely important resources for the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, seeing these Western barbarian ships roaming freely in Southeast Asia, Zhu Yijun was anxious, which is why he said these words to Su Ze.

"Master Su, why don't we petition the Emperor to build a large fleet and conquer the South Seas?"

Su Ze looked at Zhu Yijun, thinking that his disciple might be a little too radical.

Su Ze explained:

"Your Highness, we must eat one bite at a time, and we must do things one by one."

“Building a fleet takes time, training a navy takes even more time, there’s also the casting of cannons, the improvement of ships, and the need to investigate the hydrological conditions of the South Seas and understand the activities of the local natives. These things cannot be accomplished with just a few imperial edicts.”

After listening to Su Ze's words, Zhu Yijun sighed. He had been observing his father and the cabinet's policies these past few days, and indeed, as Su Ze said, things had to be done gradually.

But Su Ze said:
"Your Highness, as long as our Great Ming does not prohibit maritime trade, and His Majesty has already issued an edict to send voyages to the Western Ocean again, even if these Western barbarians manage to occupy the South Seas by chance, the South Seas will eventually belong to our Great Ming."

Zhu Yijun asked, seemingly understanding but not quite:

"Why is Master Su doing this?"

Su Ze said:

"First, we need to win people's hearts. Since ancient times, Southeast Asia has paid tribute to the Central Plains. The King of Malacca still has descendants in the capital. Once the Ming Dynasty's ships are completed, we can naturally help the King of Malacca restore his kingdom."

“There are many overseas Chinese in the West, and they are all descendants of the Ming Dynasty who have been stranded overseas for various reasons.”

"These people are also loyal to the Ming Dynasty. As soon as the Ming army arrives, they will definitely welcome it with joy."

"Therefore Your Highness need not be impatient; we can proceed with the Nanyang region gradually."

However, Su Ze couldn't bear to dampen Xiao Pang Jun's enthusiasm, so he said:

"If Your Highness is so inclined, you could have someone make friends with the overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia to gather information about the region and facilitate the future conquest of Southeast Asia by the royal army."

Zhu Yijun immediately said:
"Understood! I will write to my uncle right away and ask him to gather information about Southeast Asia in Penghu!"

But Zhu Yijun said with a sullen face:
"It's a pity that the capital is too far from Penghu, making it very inconvenient to transmit messages."

Su Ze said:

"Your Highness, please rest assured. I was just about to submit a memorial to discuss this matter."

"Master Su, you have a solution?"
-
Yang Sizhong, the Commissioner of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, felt uneasy early in the morning and arrived at the Court of Imperial Sacrifices early.

Because he arrived too early, the Office of Transmission was very quiet. Just as Yang Siqing was about to enter his office, he overheard a conversation between two young officials.

Yang Siqing looked and saw that the speakers were two clerks from the Office of Transmission.

The Office of Transmission was headed by a Chief Envoy, and was also referred to as the Great Silver Platform by the court. This was because the Office of Transmission in the Ming Dynasty actually performed the functions of the Silver Platform Office in the Song Dynasty.

Another deputy envoy will be appointed. The current deputy envoy is Pei Qing. Since he was exiled to the capital region to be in charge of the post stations, Pei Qing has not been able to return to the capital for the New Year.

This Deputy Envoy Pei has done a good job. The inns around the capital have been completed. These inns do not require a permit to stay in; one can enjoy accommodation and catering services simply by paying money.

Merchants soon discovered that these private inns were actually quite good.

Private post stations offer services as long as you pay, unlike official post stations which are divided into different classes and you don't have to endure the disdain of the officials.

The inn provided excellent service. In addition to accommodation, local residents also worked odd jobs there, offering various services such as hot water and horse washing. The food was also much better than that of the official inn, provided you paid for it.

Moreover, after six months of rectification by the Censorate, the security situation in the Gyeonggi region has improved considerably. Disputes arising from staying at inns are handled swiftly by the government, making staying at inns a more convenient option.

Perhaps the only ones who are dissatisfied are those sycophants and cronies who could have relied on their connections with officials to act arrogantly and domineeringly.

"Zhang Jingli, is Vice Envoy Pei about to return to court?"

The experience was that of a minor official in the Office of Transmission, usually a sixth-rank official, and the lowest-ranking servant in the Office of Transmission.

Yang Siqing had a good memory. He remembered this Zhang Jingli. Wasn't he the young official who had talked about him behind his back with Feng Xueyan, the Right Vice Minister?
Feng Xueyan, the Right Vice Minister, has already been "exiled" to North Korea.

Zhang Jingli said, "It's difficult. You've only just joined the Office of Transmission. You don't know that our Chief Secretary is notoriously petty. If Vice Envoy Pei offends the Chief Secretary, how easy is it for him to come back?"

Another official said, "But I think that although Da Yintai is a bit cold-faced, he is not arrogant at all in the department. He is the most approachable among the nine ministers."

Zhang Jingli immediately said:
"You've misjudged him! Do you know Lord Feng Xueyan, the Right Vice Minister?"

The young official nodded, and Zhang Jingli said:

"Lord Feng was exiled to Korea because he spoke ill of the Grand Silver Office behind its back."

Having revealed workplace secrets to a junior colleague, Zhang was preparing to receive the junior's admiring gaze when he suddenly heard the junior stammering:
"Big, big silver platform."

Zhang Jingli felt a sense of foreboding. He turned around and saw Yang Sizhong's cold face, and almost fainted.

Yang Sizhong did not interrogate him, but instead asked:

"What important memorials have been submitted today?"

Zhang Jingli quickly said:
"Su Hanlin has submitted a memorial, which has already been placed on Da Yintai's desk."

Yang Sizhong nodded and left. Zhang Jingli thought that Yang Sizhong had not heard their conversation and secretly rejoiced that he had escaped a disaster.

Yang Sizhong arrived at the public office and picked up Su Ze's memorial.

"Memorial on the swift delivery of official documents by sea and requesting the establishment of the Nanyang Administration Office".

(End of this chapter)