The destiny of all heavens begins in the Red Chamber

"Unfortunately, precisely because he is the Emperor Emeritus's own son, how can the current emperor possibly trust him?"

"If Prince Zhongshun wants power, then he can only do some hard and tiring work for the current emperor, becoming a tool in the emperor's hands!"

I originally wanted to say "biting dog," but that was too harsh a word, so I didn't say it.

Apart from the Second Master Zheng, the others present, including Xue Pan and Qin Keqing, were either shrewd businessmen, naturally intelligent, or seasoned veterans of officialdom.

How could they not understand Jia Huan's implied meaning?

"That has nothing to do with what you did, does it?"

Lin Ruhai said irritably, "Do you know that doing this is like asking a tiger for its skin?"

"Of course I know!"

Jia Huan explained, "That's why I tried to divert Prince Zhongshun's attention elsewhere!"

"His presence and influence in the court are not a good thing!"

"Just imagine what would happen if all the emperor's sons, who are already adults, followed suit?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Ruhai and other seasoned officials immediately changed their expressions, realizing that something was amiss.

Jia Huan said quietly, "The most likely scenario is that they will continuously shrink the living space of our founding noble group!"

"They want power and money, and given their already unfriendly attitude towards our elite group, what will happen if this continues? Where will we find a way to survive?"

"Don't forget, not only did the former emperor have many children, but the current emperor also has quite a few!"

“The large number of princes and dukes, even if they hold a certain amount of power, is a terrifying force, and our noble group is the easiest to be replaced!”

The words were spoken so clearly that even the slowest-witted Master Zheng finally realized what had happened, his face turning pale and ashen as he was terrified.

"The only thing that can make the royal family hesitate is the army!"

The front courtyard was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Jia Huan was quite satisfied with the response and continued in a slow voice, "It's a pity that our military power has been repeatedly reduced. The only thing we can rely on are the three kings of different surnames!"

At this moment, both Marquis Baoling and Marquis Zhongjing lowered their heads and remained silent.

Despite being powerful generals, their soldiers don't necessarily obey them.

Only those like the three kings of different genders are true regional powers!

"To avoid trouble, I devised a plan to persuade Prince Zhongshun to focus his attention on overseas expansion!"

Jia Huan put it bluntly: "The territory you see on the sand table is actually part of the islands occupied by Prince Zhongshun in the outer sea!"

These words sent a shock through everyone present!

Originally, they were quite curious, as the sand table model that Jia Huan brought out was clearly not comprehensive.

It turns out it was just part of an island, which makes sense now.

only!

Marquis Baoling said in a deep voice, "Huan-ge'er, why would the Prince of Zhongshun give you a territory?"

"Judging from the appearance, the island where the sand table model is located is quite large. There's no need to share the profits with you, is there?"

The rest of the people all nodded in agreement.

That's offshore territory, a potential trump card for the family.

"You just want to be tied to me!"

Jia Huan said with a smile, "Back then, I was able to fool Prince Zhongshun because I had consulted a lot of information!"

"I know quite a few of the large offshore islands with names, and I can even guess their exact locations!"

"At this point, the island where the sand table model is located is about the same size as a county in the Central Plains!"

"Having already tasted the sweetness of success, Prince Zhongshun naturally desires even more land in the outer seas!"

At this point, he couldn't help but chuckle, "Of course, Prince Zhongshun trusts me quite well as a partner!"

"If it were any of the other princes in the royal family, who knows what kind of trouble they would have caused!"

“Prince Zhongshun has indeed contacted other princes, but since he wants to be the leader, the initial investment and development are crucial. How could he possibly let me leave?”

"You should know that my fleet also sailed out to sea with Prince Zhongshun's fleet, and only then did we gradually learn to navigate the open seas!"

"In other words, I gave Prince Zhongshun an island in the open sea as payment, and in return, I trained a fleet capable of sailing in the open sea. No one loses out!"

“But Prince Zhongshun wants to occupy more land in the outer seas, and right now he has no choice but to rely on my intelligence support, otherwise they simply won’t feel at ease!”

"At this point, I realized that I couldn't keep going on my own anymore!"

"Just sending 5,000 people to the territory where the sand table model is located has completely emptied my coffers!"

"Therefore, at this point, we have no choice but to ask the family for help!"

He didn't hide anything and explained the whole story very clearly.

Currently, Jia Huan wants to vigorously develop the territory in the outer sea, and he needs the support of his family and even the four major families of Jinling.

Those present agreed with this statement!

Given their way of thinking and their style of doing things, it's likely that Jia Huan could do it alone, but it would take him a very long time.

Over time, some unforeseen accidents may occur.

If Jia Huan could find books about islands in the open sea, it's hard to say that Prince Zhongshun couldn't.

Right now, Prince Zhongshun needs something from him. Who knows if he will still be so generous and open-minded as to give Jia Huan a township-level territory to win him over once he has a reliable source of information?

"Huan-ge, just say what you're thinking!"

Marquis Zhongjing, somewhat impatient, said directly, "I will certainly not refuse anything I can do!"

Lord Baoling and Lin Ruhai nodded in agreement, and Xue Pan patted his chest and assured him, "Brother Huan, don't worry. The Xue family may not have much else, but we have plenty of money and supplies. Just let us know if you need anything!"

Qin Keqing's voice came from behind the screen: "The Ning family will give their full support!"

The Second Master Zheng did not rush to express his opinion, but hesitated and asked, "Is this matter really reliable?"

It wasn't that he was intentionally making things difficult for Jia Huan, but rather that Jia Huan's actions didn't align with his principles.

Traditional scholar-officials valued the hierarchical relationship between ruler and subject, emphasizing loyalty.

However, Jia Huan's behavior clearly has nothing to do with loyalty!

There were even some signs that they were leaving themselves a way out, as if they were afraid that the current ruler might take drastic measures against the Rong family.

Master Zheng believed that as long as he remained loyal to the court and the emperor, the Rong family would be safe.

It can only be said that he was far too naive in his assessment of the imperial court.

Of course, as the head of the Rong family, he was aware that Jia Huan's behavior was a good thing for the family.

"How is it unreliable!"

Jia Huan smiled and asked in return, "Master, you basically have a good idea of ​​how Prince Zhongshun and his officials have been behaving in court lately!"

After careful consideration, Lord Zheng Er found that Prince Zhongshun and his officials had not made any trouble recently.

"Brother Cunzhou, you're overthinking it!"

Lin Ruhai chuckled and said, "If Prince Zhongshun gets involved, Cunzhou, you'll probably have to go through a lot more trouble to get promoted to Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs!"

Lord Baoling also spoke up: "Cousin, you just love to overthink things!"

"This matter is quite easy to find out if you put in the effort to inquire!"

"What we should be considering right now is how to support Huan-ge'er's career!"

"That offshore territory on the sand table must be managed carefully; it might just be one of the most important backup plans for the Jia family in the capital!"

Marquis Zhongjing nodded in agreement, saying enviously, "If I had such a territory in the outer seas, I would manage it well even if it meant going bankrupt. Such an opportunity is so rare!"

"really!"

Jia Huan laughed and said leisurely, "When I was deceiving Prince Zhongshun, I made it very clear to him. As long as the overseas lands we occupy are large enough and we have sufficient control over their development, we can directly submit to the court as a vassal state and pay tribute. Wouldn't that give us the title of a king recognized by the Great Qian Dynasty?"

These words shocked everyone present, and their eyes lit up.

If they could, they would also like to become the kings of vassal states; that would truly bring glory to their ancestors!

Right now, they even feel that their official positions and titles are no longer appealing.

Marquis Zhongjing exclaimed, "No, Huan-ge'er, are there any other unclaimed territories in the outer seas?"

"If there is such an opportunity, don't hide it from your uncle. My family will invest the vast majority of our resources and money into it. Such an opportunity is extremely rare!"

Not only Marquis Zhongjing, but also Marquis Baoling, Xue Pan, and even Lin Ruhai couldn't help but feel a surge of attraction.

As for the expression on the Second Master's face, no one paid attention anymore. Since everyone's thoughts and ideas were quite different, there was no point in forcing them to conform.

Jia Huan laughed heartily and said leisurely, "Uncle and everyone else, please rest assured, the outer sea is vast, and there is plenty of unclaimed land!"

Chapter 309 Each and Every One of Them is Extraordinary (Please Subscribe)

"Do we also have the opportunity to acquire territory in the open sea?"

In the front courtyard of the Rong Mansion, Marquis Baoling asked cautiously, his eyes filled with anticipation.

At this moment, the flower hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the only sound was the heavy breathing of everyone present.