How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 150 The Age of Exploration in the Ming Dynasty Has Begun! (First update, four more updates today)

The Yihai Hall in Tsinghua Garden was eerily quiet. A delicate sandalwood incense wafted through the air, yet the oppressive feeling weighing on one's heart remained. Emperor Chongzhen sat behind his desk, his face expressionless, but when his gaze swept over Zheng Zhilong kneeling below, a flicker of light appeared, as if he had spotted a giant gold ingot!
Huang Liji, Grand Secretary Sun Chengzong, Wang Benbing, Bi Ziyan, and Lai Zongdao—several top-ranking senior officials, along with Eunuch Wei Zhongxian, the head of the Directorate of Ceremonial—all sat tense, barely daring to breathe. Everyone understood that today's matter was of utmost importance.

"Read it." The Emperor spoke, his voice not loud, but like a stone hitting people's hearts.

Wang Chengen quickly stepped forward, unfurled a strip of yellow silk, cleared his throat, and read aloud:

"Zheng Zhilong, a commoner from the South China Sea, respectfully presents this to Your Majesty:"
One million two hundred thousand taels of silver!
Antiques and calligraphy, valued at 300,000 taels!
Two hundred thousand shi of Siamese rice!

Annam rice, 200,000 shi!

India's fine saltpeter, 50,000 catties!
50,000 jin of Japanese sulfur!

10,000 Japanese arquebuses!

One thousand Foshan Banjiu guns (large firearms)!

......"

With each report, the eyelids of the senior officials twitched. Minister Bi (Bi Ziyan)'s fingers flew across the page, his mind racing with calculations; Grand Secretary Sun and Wang Benbing (Wang Zaijin) stared intently at the gunpowder weapons, as if they had spotted a turning point on the Liaodong battlefield. This wasn't tribute; it was clearly life-saving provisions, a sharp weapon to kill the Tartars!
When the text read out "a total value of over two million taels," the hall fell so quiet you could hear a pin drop. This Zheng Zhilong was truly a reincarnation of the Dragon King of the Sea, filthy rich!
Could it be that the young master Chongzhen, who could make this "Dragon King Zheng" obediently travel thousands of miles to present treasures, was actually Sun Wukong in disguise?

"Get up and take a seat." Emperor Chongzhen smiled.

"King Zheng" thanked the emperor, then sat halfway down on the embroidered stool, knowing full well that the important part was about to begin.

Emperor Chongzhen didn't mince words: "These things that Minister Zheng presented have quenched the court's thirst. Grain can sustain life, and firearms can kill the enemy. I will remember your kindness."

"Your Majesty's grace is boundless! Although I make my living at sea, I know how to be loyal to the emperor and serve my country! It is a blessing from my past lives that this little thing can be of use!" Zheng Zhilong began to use words of "loyalty offering." He had become "Zheng Xianzhong" in a nutshell.

Chongzhen nodded, then changed the subject: "The 'Seven Major Ports' we discussed a few days ago are meant to establish rules for the sea. You've been battling the waves for so many years, you should know that without rules, there can be no order. These rules aren't meant to tie your hands and feet, but to ensure everyone has a way to survive, and to bring lasting peace to the seas. Don't you think that makes sense?"

Zheng Zhilong chimed in, "Your Majesty is wise! Without the law at sea, it's a dog-eat-dog world, and we commoners have suffered enough! Your Majesty's establishment of ports and regulations has shown us, those who beg for a living at sea, a clear path! Our fleet will be the first to follow the rules! We will also help the court to root out those lawless scoundrels who wreak havoc at sea and restore peace to the seas! Anyone who dares to cause trouble is going against us and against the court!"

"Well said," the Emperor praised, then turned to Wang Zaijin and asked, "Minister Wang, what do you think?"

Wang Zaijin, already having a plan in mind, stepped forward and replied, "Your Majesty, General Zheng is familiar with the seas, his ships are sturdy and his cannons are powerful, and his men are all brave and capable warriors. Currently, Liaodong is in dire straits, the Jurchens are rampant, and someone needs to keep an eye on Korea as well. Transporting grain and patrolling at sea are of utmost importance. I believe that Jeju Island is a natural key to the Beiyang Fleet. Controlling it will suppress the Japanese pirates in the east, control Korea in the north, and support Liaodong in the west! I implore Your Majesty to grant General Zheng a real position, appointing him as the commander-in-chief of the Beiyang Fleet, stationed on Jeju Island, to protect our grain routes and patrol our maritime borders, ensuring that not even a single plank of the Eastern barbarians' ships will be able to sail!"

Grandpa Huang and Grand Secretary Sun all nodded in agreement. This was a plan they had discussed beforehand—although Dongjiang and Denglai towns both had naval forces, how could their forces compare to Zheng Zhilong's? They were simply no match!
The Emperor's eyes shone brightly as he stared at Zheng Zhilong: "Minister Zheng, do you dare to shoulder this heavy responsibility that Minister Wang has mentioned?"

Zheng Zhilong's heart pounded, knowing that immense wealth and honor were within his grasp. He knelt down with a thud, his voice booming, "Your Majesty, I will gladly die for you! I will definitely keep a close watch on the seas for Your Majesty, so that not a single sail of the Jurchen ships can be raised!"

"Good!" Without another word, Chongzhen quickly won over "King Zheng," saying, "I hereby appoint you as the Admiral-in-Chief of the Beiyang Fleet! You will be awarded a qilin robe! All naval affairs, including those related to defense and combat, will be under your command in Jeju Island, the Korean waters, and the Liaodong coast! You are permitted to establish your own headquarters in Jeju, and you can choose your own subordinates, simply reporting to the Ministry of War for record-keeping!" He then offered an even greater incentive:

"I know that the King of Joseon sold Jeju Island to you (though he is unaware of this at the moment). Once the handover is complete, you will use the pretext of 'submitting territory' to offer the island to the court! At that time, I will certainly not treat you unfairly; a title of Prince is assured, and your Zheng family will be able to guard the seas for generations! Jeju Island will forever be part of the territory of my Great Ming, without a doubt!"

Zheng Zhilong was overjoyed, feeling as if his bones had lightened considerably. He kowtowed repeatedly, his voice trembling, "Your Majesty... I thank you for your great favor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" He was now a Grand Admiral! He would even become a prince! He could almost see the masts of Jeju Port standing tall, all flying the flags of his Zheng family. The entire Beiyang Fleet of the Ming Dynasty, and even the sea routes of the East and South Seas, would become his family's private property! This immense wealth was finally in his grasp!
To everyone's surprise, Chongzhen's next words were like a bucket of ice water poured over his head, leaving him completely stunned and speechless.

Emperor Chongzhen rose and took two steps forward, personally helping him up. His eyes swept across the entire hall, and his voice boomed, carrying a force that seemed to shatter the heavens and earth:

"Today, Zheng Qing is the first hero in the more than two hundred years since the founding of our Great Ming Dynasty to bring back overseas territories!"

He paused, then his voice suddenly rose, like a thunderclap:
"But I hope he won't be the last one!"

These words were like a needle, piercing Zheng Zhilong's heart! The smile on his face froze instantly, and his mind was in turmoil! He had originally planned to monopolize the sea route and slowly build up his power, accumulating all the benefits for himself. Who would have thought that the Emperor would completely rip this strait apart?!
Ignoring the astonished jaws of the crowd, the Emperor pointed to the air as if drawing an invisible map of the world, and spoke with increasing fervor:
"Today Zheng Zhilong offered up Jeju Island, tomorrow I hope Zhang Zhilong and Li Zhilong will offer up Ryukyu, Luzon, Borneo, and Sumatra to the Ming Dynasty!"

His gaze drifted to an even more distant place, and his words sent chills down everyone's spines:

"Further afield! I long for our Ming Dynasty's ships to brave the waves and sail to the distant New World (America) and the wild South (Australia)!"

His eyes shone with an astonishing light, as if he had already glimpsed that boundless new world.

"Just imagine, how vast that territory would be! It would be larger than the entire Ming Dynasty! In that time, it wouldn't be Ming ships going to other people's doorsteps to do business, but Ming princes establishing cities and founding kingdoms overseas, governing territories thousands of miles away using the rites and laws of our Chinese civilization! That's what it means to 'under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king'!"

The Emperor took a deep breath and spoke each word with such force that it could leave a crater on the ground:

"No matter what he did before, whether he was a pirate or a merchant, as long as he has made great contributions to expanding our territory and promoting our national prestige, I will never be stingy with a royal title! What is a county prince? I am willing to give him the title of prince! I want to lead our Great Ming into the great age of maritime exploration, and open up a new era of expanding our territory beyond the four seas!"

Upon hearing this, Yihaitang fell into a deathly silence!
Grand Secretary Sun's hand, which was stroking his beard, froze in mid-air. Wang Benbing (Wang Zaijin)'s mouth was agape, wide enough to fit an egg. He begged Bi Ziyan (Bi Ziyan) to forget to calculate his meager allowance. Old Master Huang and Grand Secretary Lai stared at each other, wondering to themselves: Has the Emperor gone hysterical? A princely title overseas? A prince of the first rank? This... this is really going to turn the ancestral rules upside down!
The one who suffered the most was Zheng Zhilong. He had thought he was the only one favored by the emperor, the chosen one, but now he suddenly realized that what the emperor wanted was not a guard dog, but a pack of wolves that could charge out and tear apart their prey! He hadn't even had a chance to enjoy his spoils alone, and the emperor was already preparing a feast for all the heroes of the land!

After the initial shock, an even fiercer and more ruthless energy ignited in his heart like wildfire—wasn't the path the Emperor was pursuing the same as that of the Western powers like the Red-haired Kingdom, the Frankish Kingdom, and the Greek Kingdom?

Those small Western countries are all sailing across the ocean to seize territory, making a fortune and getting rich quick. Why doesn't the Ming Dynasty do the same? If the Ming Dynasty were to do it, I, Zheng Zhilong, would certainly earn even more!
Let alone a prince, he might even be able to take down a true king!

Emperor Chongzhen saw the astonished and incredulous expressions on everyone's faces, but said nothing more. He simply waved his hand gently to Wang Chengen and said, "Tell Liu Xiang and the others to come back tomorrow."

Zheng Zhilong bowed and left Yihai Hall. Stepping outside into the glaring sun, a gust of cold wind made him realize that his silk robe, which clung to his back, was soaked with cold sweat. The Emperor's words still echoed in his ears—that was not a favor, but a declaration of war! A massive war for control of the vast seas and the struggle for overseas royal titles had been ignited by this young emperor himself!
He turned around abruptly and glanced at the imposing Yihai Hall with its double eaves and tiles. All his luck and smugness vanished, replaced by a single thought that burned like wildfire: This first "King of the Sea Kingdom" of China since the dawn of time, I, Zheng Zhilong, am determined to have!

Jeju Island was not the end of the Zheng family's empire, but merely the beginning of his sweeping across the oceans and dominating the world!
(End of this chapter)