Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 378 Establishment of the Protectorate General of the Oceans? The Glory of the Three Jewels Eunuch Reappears!

Who is so arrogant?

Zhang Yuanhao and Yang Jishi were both startled and looked towards the door.

Zhang Rong was clearly in a bad mood, and this person was about to stir things up again; he really had no sense of reading between the lines.

Zhang Yuanhao was even a little angry and was about to reprimand the person, but when he saw the person's smiling face, he was stunned.

The newcomer was a burly man with a dark complexion; who else could he be but Qi Jiguang?
Zhang Rong's smile was stiff at first, but after seeing that the person who came was Qi Jiguang, he immediately laughed and scolded.

"You old fool, are you here to see me make a fool of myself?!"

To be fair, Zhang Rong and Qi Jiguang had a fairly good relationship. Both were military officers who rode into battle, and Zhang Rong had witnessed Qi Jiguang's achievements on the battlefield. In the past, Zhang Rong had provided many conveniences to Qi Jiguang's army.

Qi Jiguang, with his hands behind his back and moving slowly, his face and neck almost two different colors, responded with a smile.

"If we're talking about an ugly state, it was the Duke's ugly state when he was on his deathbed that day that was truly worrying. Today, when I heard that the Duke had just recovered from his serious illness, I was still a little skeptical, but now that I heard this curse, I feel very relieved!"

Well said! A brilliant insult!

When Qi Jiguang got closer, he saw the bandage on Zhang Rong's neck and pinched and looked at Zhang Rong's body here and there.

"Let me take a look. Is there anything missing in your body, elder brother? I, the Duke of Ying, carry the aura of a tiger and leopard. If that brat Zhang Shiyuan steals it, I will definitely help you get it back."

"Go! Go! Go."

Zhang Rong slapped the other person's hand away and said irritably.

"I only had a cut on my body, it's not like I cut anything off. You, Qi Yuanjing, are speaking up for me, but you're actually insulting me."

"Don't dare."

Qi Jiguang repeatedly cupped his hands in greeting.

The two old men bickering here is quite amusing.

Zhang Rong waved to Zhang Yuanhao and Yang Jishi beside him and said.

"I will now discuss official business with Junior Guardian Qi. You two may leave for now."

Zhang Yuanhao said with some concern, "Father, you must take care of your health and absolutely must not overwork yourself."

"Don't worry," Zhang Rong said firmly. "I know what I'm doing. What could possibly happen in the clinic? If I don't talk to someone, I'll either die from the illness or from feeling stifled in the clinic."

Yang Jishi added, "Young Master, it's good for the Duke to have a heart-to-heart talk with Qi Shaobao. We two can just wait outside."

Having said that, Zhang Yuanhao reluctantly left.

Watching the two figures depart, Qi Jiguang couldn't help but sigh.

"What a good child! With such a filial son, how can we worry about having no successor?"

Zhang Rong shook his head and said, "I don't need him to be a filial son. If he can be as successful as Zhang Shiyuan, I would be happy even if he were a rebellious son."

It's a pity this child is too soft-hearted; he'll probably never amount to much.

"How many Zhang Shiyuans are there in the world?" Qi Jiguang retorted.

Zhang Rong was stunned for a moment. What the other party said made sense. A genius like Zhang Yunxiu was probably one in a thousand years.

Qi Jiguang lowered his voice and asked.

"What do you think of the Protectorate General of the Oceans, brother?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Rong's expression immediately turned serious.

Zhang Yunxiu wanted to establish a naval force, and he obviously already knew about this, but he didn't express any opinion.

This veteran minister, who had served three emperors, had witnessed too many ups and downs.

Zhang Rong couldn't help but say, "This matter of the navy is indeed of utmost importance. Thinking back to the Jiajing era, if our Great Ming had a fierce and powerful army at sea, how could we have allowed a small Japanese pirate to stir up trouble on our Great Ming's coastline?"
However, the ancestral teachings of the former Emperor Taizu Gao were also reasonable. At that time, our Great Ming Dynasty had just been established and was still in a period of recuperation and rest for the people.

The policy of prohibiting maritime trade can be used to establish dike defenses and prevent bandits from going to sea to become thieves.

The maritime ban ensured the stability of the Ming Dynasty's coastal borders for a century; lifting it easily was naturally not so simple.

Qi Jiguang narrowed his eyes and said, "Times have changed, brother. Now the maritime forces are rising, just like the barbarian tribes of the grasslands in the past. If we do not kill them before they have grown strong, we may end up raising a tiger that will cause trouble in the future."

"I am aware of this matter."

Zhang Rong nodded and said.

"I naturally agree with the policy of opening up the seas. The court needs money, and the people need a livelihood. For the sake of the stability of the country, even if opening up the seas is extremely difficult, we still need to grit our teeth and forge ahead."

It wasn't that he thought opening the sea was bad; it was just that he had some concerns about it from his own perspective.

"Yuan Jing."

Zhang Rong said with a sigh.

"What I fear most is not the opening of the sea, but that the plan to open the sea will end up being abandoned like it did during the Longqing era."

The reforms in Xishan are in full swing, and the new policies are flourishing. This is the perfect opportunity for our Great Ming to reform and innovate, and it is on the verge of becoming a time of revival.

If we truly stumble here, we fear we will repeat the same mistake.

The Ming Dynasty went through two hundred years of ups and downs; did no monarch ever have the ambition to make progress?

Earlier, in order to correct the harshness of the Zhu Yuanzhang era, Emperor Jianwen introduced the "Jianwen New Deal," which aimed to reduce the emphasis on military affairs and civil administration, promote the use of scholar-officials, and reduce punishments, among other things.

But what was the final outcome?
During the reign of Emperor Wuzong of Ming, Zhu Houzhao, things took a turn for the worse, with a shift towards emphasizing military prowess and suppressing civil administration.

Both were clearly failures.

If you were to stand in the shoes of someone from the Ming Dynasty and recount the experiences of the past two hundred years, you would say that change itself is a high-cost and extremely uncertain choice.

The direction Zhang Yunxiu had taken was already fraught with danger, but he "coincidentally" achieved some success.

The most crucial thing now is not to consolidate our already successful path, but to continue to build on it?

After hearing the other party's concerns, Qi Jiguang did not seem surprised; he even said with some joy.

"It's good that you can support me, brother."

Zhang Rong said helplessly, "That scoundrel Zhang Yunxiu, my life and fortune are all in Xishan, I even gave my son to him as an apprentice, how can I not support him?"

Unbeknownst to them, the Duke of England's mansion had already boarded Zhang Yunxiu's pirate ship. As an original shareholder of Xishan when it was founded, Zhang Rong's wealth naturally increased as Xishan became more and more prosperous.

Today, the income from Xishan accounts for more than half of the entire Duke's Mansion, and that is a conservative estimate.

It is difficult to go from extravagance to simplicity, and the British government has almost no motivation to stop the changes in the West Hills.

Not to mention the British Duke's Mansion, the princes and nobles who were initially reluctant to invest in Xishan, as well as the court officials, were completely bound to it after seeing the benefits of Xishan.

This is the nature of human nature, which cannot be controlled by one or two people.

Qi Jiguang smiled and shook his head, saying, "Brother, you're overthinking things. In my opinion, opening up the sea and establishing the Protectorate General of the Oceans are not things that should be rushed; on the contrary, they are too late."

Zhang Rong squinted and said, "What do you mean?"

Qi Jiguang sighed and said, "The situation at sea is no longer the same as during the Yongle era. My elder brother has been staying in the capital for many years, so he probably doesn't know much about the affairs at sea. Even I only learned about it after I went to sea."

The two sat in a pavilion, and Qi Jiguang told the other about his experiences at sea, especially describing the Westerners' powerful ships and cannons.

"It's not that I, your younger brother, am trying to impress others."

Qi Jiguang sighed and said.

"It's just that our Great Ming has neglected maritime affairs for too long, and its military system is in a state of disarray. In this corner of the world, we may still be able to show some power, but what about outside?"
Even the Japanese can bully us from time to time, let alone the powerful and well-equipped Portuguese.

Although the Ming Dynasty's naval power was not weak, it was limited to coastal operations and completely lacked the ability to operate at sea. Compared with the "Fujian ships" of the Yongle era, its ships and weapons were even a step backward.

In contrast, the Spanish Navy is now at its zenith, having defeated the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Lepanto about ten years ago, and its colonies now encompass most of Central and South America.

If he hadn't gone to sea, Qi Jiguang might have been arrogant, but after going to sea, he completely dispelled that idea and admitted that the Spanish navy had far surpassed the Ming navy in terms of both displacement and firepower.

This made Qi Jiguang feel even more urgent.

"Whether it's Southeast Asia or the open sea, there are places to make money everywhere. Without money, you can't move an inch in this world. Even our Great Ming Dynasty almost got stuck because of a lack of money."

If we want the Ming Dynasty to enjoy long-term peace and prosperity, and for our descendants to enjoy blessings for generations to come, then establishing a navy and embarking on voyages to the Western Ocean is imperative.

Zhang Rong was stunned by what the other party said. In Qi Jiguang's description, it seemed that a "grassland people" had risen up at sea.

The difference is that these barbarians ride ships instead of warhorses, and fire muskets instead of bows and crossbows.

What they have in common is that, in the not-too-distant future, these people will pose a great threat to the Ming Dynasty and the Central Plains Dynasty.

The court still has a solution now, but what will happen if it drags on for another few decades or a hundred years?
They weren't just concerned with the immediate needs of ordinary people; in Zhang Rong and Qi Jiguang's positions, it was only natural to think about decades or even centuries ahead.

Qi Jiguang became emotional as he spoke of this.

"Going to sea is a good national policy, and a good policy that benefits the country and its people. Old brother, do you know the situation of the group of veterans under my command?"

Zhang Rong recalled, "In the past, the imperial court would provide relief to retired veterans by including them in military households and giving them a certain amount of support money. The older ones would be sent to almshouses."

The Ming Dynasty had a series of guarantees for the care and support of veterans.

Qi Jiguang shook his head and said, "These pensions are indeed good. When the imperial treasury was full, it could still provide subsidies. When we old folks were around, we could still help out. But in recent years, the imperial court has been spending more than it earns, and with the military system in various places corrupt, military households have become a disliked group."

The alimony was merely a drop in the ocean, and the almshouses were practically non-existent.

"This," Zhang Rong said with a hint of helplessness, "is a chronic and deep-seated problem of the imperial court, and it cannot be solved in a short time."

The corruption of the Ming Dynasty's military system was not a recent phenomenon, and most people were aware of the problem. However, solving the problem was a complex and far-reaching issue, requiring a comprehensive approach.

In the past, Zhang Rong would definitely have been cursing and swearing, but now he is more optimistic.

"Fortunately, the court's taxes are increasing, so we are not afraid of spending money. After I am discharged from the hospital, I will submit a memorial to His Majesty, and I will certainly not let the soldiers feel disheartened."

With money in hand, things became much easier for the imperial court.

Qi Jiguang nodded and said, "It is indeed much better now, but this is only treating the symptoms, not the root cause."

He paused.

"In my opinion, many veterans are not incapable of fighting, but rather have developed chronic illnesses from years of marching. Nine times out of ten, marching on land is a contest of physical strength and endurance."

Things were a bit better once they were on the deck. These veterans couldn't match the stamina of the younger men, but they had a wealth of combat experience.

Older brother, you probably don't know yet, but several hundred of your younger brother's Qi Family Army soldiers have been incorporated into the navy. These are all former experts at killing Japanese pirates, and they are even more fierce on the ships. Now, the firearms from Xishan are even more sophisticated, which can make up for their lack of physical strength.

With experienced soldiers mentoring new recruits and passing the torch, they will become another formidable force, like the Qi Family Army!

Qi Jiguang pounded his chest, looking heroic and spirited.

"An online army?" Zhang Rong had a half-smile on his face. "Is that your title of Pirate King?"

Qi Jiguang scratched his head awkwardly and said, "It's not because of the circumstances that I have to hide my identity to operate at sea."

Directly opening up the sea to the public would face too much resistance. This approach, which seems effective now, is better. It allows officials to see the benefits of going into business, and then removes the obstacles from the Jiangnan gentry. Only by taking a two-pronged approach can the opening of the sea be successfully implemented.

Zhang Rong nodded slightly and said, "You did a good job in this matter, but I think that relying solely on the veterans of Qi Jiguang's army is not enough for the long-distance naval force."

Although sea voyages don't require much physical exertion, they are still very physically demanding, and the long, drawn-out periods at sea are not something most people can endure.

If a naval force wants to maintain its fighting capacity, young and able-bodied men must make up the majority.

After thinking for a while, Qi Jiguang said, "I have also thought about this matter. Training soldiers is like forging weapons. The selection of materials is extremely important. In the past, most of the soldiers selected by the Qi Family Army were from Yiwu, Yongkang and Chuzhou. The people in this area have been poor for generations. During the Jiajing period, the 'Yiwu mining dispute' was very intense."

This also precisely illustrates that the people of these three places are brave and skilled in combat, and most of them are from the same hometown, resulting in strong cohesion.

There's one more thing, in particular.

He gritted his teeth.

"The people in these places have all suffered at the hands of the Japanese invaders, and they all hate them with a passion. No one wants to go out to sea to avenge their grievances more than they do, and no one wants to display the might of our Great Ming Dynasty at sea more than they do!"

“Very good.” Zhang Rong nodded slightly. “When it comes to leading troops, no one in the world can compare to you, Qi Yuanjing.”

It seems that the British Duke has completely dispelled his concerns.

Qi Jiguang continued, his face beaming with excitement.

"The so-called training is nothing more than selecting soldiers pragmatically, maintaining strict discipline, integrating training and combat, and loving soldiers like sweet potatoes."

Now the imperial court is rich in money and grain, the firearms of Xishan are exquisite, and all kinds of new weapons are emerging one after another. If we wait until the Fujian ships and treasure ships are completed...

"I am confident that the Ming Dynasty's navy will once again achieve fame throughout the world, just like the voyages of Zheng He!"

(End of this chapter)