Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 243 Making a Move in Europe

The model of the giant ship named "Weijing" still stands quietly, silently proclaiming the coming Age of Exploration.

Zheng Zhilong was still reeling from the shock. The exchange between the emperor and his minister had given him a profound understanding of the magnificent ocean vision hidden within the heart of this young emperor.

He originally thought that today's discussion had reached its climax and that he could take a breather and savor the experience.

However, Zhu Youjian did not give Zheng Zhilong any chance to breathe. His deep gaze shifted from the ship model to the minister who was still immersed in excitement and horror. His voice was steady but oppressive, as if the thunder from a moment ago was still echoing in his ears and a new thunderbolt had already ripped through the sky.

"The academy is the soul, the shipyard is the bones." The emperor spoke each word clearly and forcefully. "Only with both soul and bones can it be a true dragon! What we discussed earlier was merely shaping the soul of my Great Ming Navy. Next, I will personally forge a body of steel for this dragon that is about to take flight!"

He turned to Bi Ziyan, his tone becoming more serious: "Minister Bi, are all the officials and clerks from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works present today?" After receiving an affirmative answer, Zhu Youjian nodded and directly instructed Wang Chengen, who was standing to the side: "Chengen, go and summon them all into the tent. I have important matters to discuss!"

"This servant obeys the decree!" Wang Chengen bowed and quietly withdrew.

A moment later, Wang Chengen led several solemn-looking officials into the main tent of the military headquarters.

At the same time, several other Westerners, dressed in crimson official robes of the Ming Dynasty and wearing black gauze hats, but with high noses and deep-set eyes, also entered silently from the other side under the guidance of a young eunuch and stood quietly in the shadows.

When Zheng Zhilong saw the person's face clearly, his pupils suddenly contracted!
Although these people were dressed in Ming Dynasty official robes, their appearances were quite different from those of people in China.

They had high noses and deep-set eyes, and their hair and eye colors varied, clearly indicating that they were from the Western Franco-Portuguese region!

Moreover, they were solemn and looked straight ahead as they quietly walked to one side of the hall, standing with their hands at their sides, as if they were already used to such occasions.

This scene stirred up a storm in Zheng Zhilong's heart.

Having spent much of his life at sea, dealing with various foreigners and Portuguese, he knew their arrogance and conceit. Yet these men before him displayed the utmost respect for the Emperor of Ming. What was the Emperor truly up to? He sensed that what was about to happen would be far more shocking than the "Weijing" warship itself!
Zhu Youjian ignored the different thoughts of the crowd and walked straight to the huge "Complete Map of the World" hanging in the center of the wall.

The long pole was raised and heavily touched the map near the capital, the landing point being Dagukou, next to Tianjin.

"My lords, please look!" The emperor's voice echoed in the somewhat empty camp, carrying the resounding weight of metal and stone.

"This place, Tianjin! It borders the capital to the north, where I can travel from morning till night; to the south lies the naval academy I just established, where talents can be put to use immediately after learning; and to the west is the royal industrial park I am about to build on a large scale. Its geographical advantages and popular support are unparalleled! My mind is made up: here, I will establish the 'Royal Shipyard'!"

The emperor did not pause; he drew a circle with his long pole beside Tianjin, encompassing the surrounding area, and his stern tone transformed into one of longing and vision for the future:
"Not only that! Next to this main factory, I will simultaneously build a royal steel mill, a royal cannon factory, and a royal gunpowder factory! What I want to see is an unprecedented scene of interconnectedness: the molten iron from the steel mill, before it has completely cooled, can be directly transported to be cast into fasteners for the keel; the cannons from the cannon factory, fresh from the furnace and still carrying their residual heat, can be directly hoisted onto the ship by a giant crane!"
What I desire is not the endless paperwork and meetings among the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers, but the swift and decisive action of molten iron flowing freely and cannons being deployed immediately; the efficient use of resources and the interconnectedness of every step of the military strategy!

Finally, Zhu Youjian retracted the long pole, turned abruptly, gripped the wooden pole and leaned on the ground, his gaze piercing as he stared directly at the assembled officials, whose imposing presence had completely overwhelmed him, and issued the final strategic directive:

"Therefore, you must remember! The Tianjin General Factory does not pursue quantity, but only excellence! It is not responsible for large-scale mass production. Its sole mission is to gather the world's top wisdom and skills and continuously research and improve!"

It will be the pinnacle of technology for the Ming Dynasty navy, the sole birthplace of every future generation of battleships, such as the 'Weijing' class and even more powerful ones! This place is the very heart I have chosen for the mighty Ming Dynasty!

The king's words, perfectly encapsulated, clearly etched a magnificent vision—a fusion of royal supervision, coordinated efforts of all craftsmen, and meticulous refinement of skills—into the minds of all his officials.

The sheer scale of its concept, the meticulousness of its arrangement, and the profoundness of its intention left everyone present speechless.

However, this was only the beginning.

While the ministers were still reeling from the awe-inspiring sight of the dragon's heart, the emperor's long pole had already traveled south along the coast, finally landing at the mouth of the Yangtze River, in Songjiang Prefecture, the place where the world's wealth converged.

"If Tianjin is the heart, then this place should be the lifeblood of the empire!"

Zhu Youjian turned his gaze to Zheng Zhilong, his eyes filled with trust and entrustment:

"Minister Zheng, you have traversed the vast oceans for many years and know best the abundance of the South and its skilled craftsmen. I hereby order you to work with the governors of the three provinces south of the Yangtze River, with the full assistance of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works, to establish the 'Jiangnan Shipyard Branch' here!"

Before Zheng Zhilong could even express his gratitude, the emperor immediately bestowed upon him three extremely specific tasks: "The Tianjin main shipyard is to overcome difficulties and achieve feats of creation from nothing; the Songjiang branch shipyard must swiftly transform the exquisite blueprints sent from Tianjin into a fleet of hundreds of ships and thousands of sails! I require the shipyards here to operate day and night! In times of war, they must be able to supply my royal army with a continuous stream of warships, as easily as scattering beans to create soldiers; in peacetime, they must also be able to build large ocean-going vessels to facilitate the Ming Dynasty's long-distance trade and accumulate wealth!"

"Secondly, this is the central hub for massive timber!" He looked at the officials of the Ministry of Works. "The Fujian fir, the giant camphor trees of Huguang, the ironwood of Yunnan and Guizhou—all the finest timber needed for shipbuilding must be gathered, selected, processed, and stored here. I intend to build a royal lumberyard here, capable of storing enough timber for the empire's shipbuilding needs for ten years! A nation without ten years' worth of reserves is considered prepared; a nation with ten years' worth of reserves is considered secure. I want to lay a solid foundation for the eternal prosperity of my Great Ming Dynasty!"

"This is the frontier for conquering the South Seas!" The Emperor's eyes already reflected the vast sea frontier. "The ships built here do not need to be transported thousands of miles to the capital. They can be incorporated into the South Seas Navy on the spot! With these ships as the starting point, we can set sail and expand the territory of the empire, protect the maritime merchants of our Great Ming, and plant the sun, moon, and dragon flag all over the four seas and eight wastelands!"

One main and one auxiliary, shining brightly in the north and south.

The Northern Division specializes in meticulous research, while the Southern Division oversees extensive production.

One wields exquisite skills, which are crucial to the safety of the nation; the other focuses on standardized mass production, which is vital to the potential of the royal army!
This magnificent panorama of imperial achievements was personally drawn by the emperor himself on the "Complete Map of the World".

The grand vision was no longer just empty talk in the court, but was transformed into a clear location, a designated person, and a well-defined duty. It was about to become an unquestionable imperial edict, driving the entire vast system of the Ming Dynasty to begin roaring and operating for his will alone.

Inside the headquarters, all the officials bowed their heads!
After a long while, it was Bi Ziyan, the mature and prudent Minister of Revenue, who finally recovered from this unparalleled shock.

He slowly stepped forward, bowed deeply, and his voice trembled slightly: "Your Majesty... the grand scale of His Majesty's plans is far beyond the imagination of us mediocre people. However... the so-called 'Weijing' behemoth is a Western-style ship. Where will the architectural plans and Western master craftsmen required to build such a behemoth come from? Without these two, even mountains of gold and seas of silver are castles in the air. This matter... is the key to success or failure."

This question was like a bucket of cold water poured over everyone's boiling hearts.

Yes, it sounds impressive, but how do you build a ship?
Who will build it? Where are the blueprints? And where is that masterful craftsmanship?

This question speaks for everyone.

In an instant, all eyes were focused on the emperor.

Zhu Youjian showed no sign of difficulty; instead, he smiled confidently.

He turned around and walked towards the Westerners who had been standing silently by.

All the people saw was their emperor speaking a few words in Latin, though the tone was slightly stiff, but the pronunciation was clear. He spoke a few words with the white-haired Western man at the head of the group.

The elderly Westerner was respectful and answered questions fluently. He even took out a roll of parchment from his sleeve, pointed to a certain picture on it, and whispered something to the emperor.

This astonishing scene left all the ministers speechless.

After a brief exchange, Zhu Youjian turned around and faced his ministers again, his face showing the composure of someone revealing a mystery. His voice was calm, yet he brought earth-shattering news:

"I am already aware of your concerns and have already made arrangements accordingly."

He pointed to the elderly Western man and solemnly introduced him to the crowd: "This is Mr. Van der Meer, a master shipwright from the Netherlands. And behind him are top craftsmen from England, Portugal, Genoa and other places."

The emperor's words shocked everyone, especially Zheng Zhilong.

"In the past year, I have secretly recruited enough Western craftsmen to form a core team of skilled artisans under the guise of building Western tribute ships for me through clandestine channels in Macau and Luzon!"

The entire tent was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Zheng Zhilong was so shocked by the emperor's earth-shattering, secret plan that he forgot to breathe.

His mind went blank, and he could only stare blankly at the foreign visitors and then at the unfathomable young emperor before the throne.

Unbeknownst to everyone, the emperor's chessboard had already traversed mountains and rivers, placing its pieces in Europe!

(End of this chapter)