Chapter 305: Going out to sea! Going out to sea!
In the sweet potato fields in Changping.

Full of choking sounds.

Xu Jie almost couldn't catch his breath.

Yan Shaoting actually shamelessly talked about the southeastern merchants going out to sea in public.

Whether merchants from the southeast go out to sea or not.

Since when do you, Yan Shaoting, need to give orders?
but.

Xu Jie also felt a sense of crisis.

Once what Yan Shaoting talked about today and the attitude and position he expressed were spread, the situation in the southeast would probably change immediately.

Although he did not get along with Yan Shaoting and the Yan family.

But there was one thing Yan Shaoting said today that was not wrong.

Businessmen pursue profit.

Yan Shaoting has now clearly stated that he will support merchants from the southeast to go out to sea for business.

What would those people from the southeast who could only go out to sea to do business secretly in the past think?
Do you want to speak out against it?

The Songjiang Xu family will immediately be abandoned by the world.

I'm afraid that Songjiang cotton cloth will have to change its name and ownership from now on.

His eyes turned.

Xu Jie had already said, "Your Majesty, if the court allows merchants to go to sea, not to mention the dangers on the sea, if our people encounter risks overseas, how should the court respond?"

Jiajing glanced sideways at his second assistant, who had to stay in the court.

He never spoke.

Instead, Zhu Zaigui on the side frowned slightly.

Zhu Shanzhang bowed and said, "Lord Xu, are you asking about the emperor?"

Xu Jie's eyes flashed, and he quickly explained: "Reply... reply to the headmaster, I just have doubts about what guest Yan mentioned, and I am worried that the people of our dynasty will encounter risks when going out to sea."

Zhu Shanzhang seemed to have just understood, and then nodded and said, "Then wait for Guest Yan to explain. The emperor has already asked about it just now. Guest Yan has always had rules and regulations whether he reports or does things. Why should Lord Xu be in a hurry?"

After saying that.

Chief Zhu moved his butt.

Although there were sweet potato vines to cushion my butt, it still felt a little uncomfortable after sitting for so long.

But Xu Jie's face was tense.

Prince Yu was actually using words to pressure himself today.

Did he do it intentionally or unintentionally?

Xu Jie couldn't help but look at the president of a certain academy again with a deep gaze.

Yan Shaoting said, "Your Majesty, in fact, Lord Xu's question just goes back to what I said before about sea power."

Faced with the verbal confrontation between his son and his assistant.

Jiajing did not discipline him.

A son who can temporarily suppress his subjects with words alone is a good heir.

And when Yan Shaoting spoke.

Jiajing immediately showed his curiosity: "Oh? I forgot to ask you, what exactly is this theory of sea power?"

Following the emperor's question, everyone stopped wanting to continue the debate and turned their eyes to Yan Shaoting again.

"In my humble opinion, sea power means that the Ming Dynasty obtains abundant and countless taxes through the seas and oceans, and has the ability to ensure that our dynasty continues to obtain these taxes from the seas and oceans."

This is a concluding remark.

Subsequently.

Yan Shaoting continued, "For this reason, I have discussed this with the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War, and the military officers in the court over the past year. I agree that if we want to ensure the situation I just mentioned, our court must have a powerful navy fleet!
The court's navy warships can be used to protect our merchant ships and carry more goods to the West and European countries for trade, earning more taxes and profits for the court and the world."

What are the conditions for a maritime power?
The country of export of goods.

Powerful shipping.

Overseas trade base.

Powerful maritime force.

At this time, Ming Dynasty is undoubtedly the world's number one exporter of goods.

The Ming Dynasty possesses almost all types of commodities that foreign merchants need. On the contrary, the Ming Dynasty's demand for foreign commodities is not great. At most, it only has a large demand for some raw materials.

Although the imperial court is no longer able to build treasure ships and Fu ships, the shipbuilding industry of the Ming Dynasty is still unmatched by the West.

What the Ming Dynasty lacks at the moment.

Just walk out.

Seize one coastal road base after another, build a powerful navy, and then transform it into a navy.

Yan Shaoting continued: "The navy warships can not only ensure the safety of our merchants going out to sea in the future, but can also be used to eliminate Japanese invaders and pirates along the southeast coast and ensure peace along our coast.

“I also think that after five years, when the Japanese threat to our southeastern coast is completely eliminated, our navy warships can go deep into the sea to wipe out overseas pirates. Every year, the court organizes southeastern merchants to go out to sea for trade, and our navy warships can provide special protection for them.

In this way, the profits that our dynasty has gained from overseas and the profits gained from merchants going out to sea in the southeast can also be regarded as using what we have gained for what we have gained.”

Xu Jie is going crazy.

Yan Shaoting is such a shameless person.

Not only did he publicly propose opening the sea to allow merchants from the southeast to go out to sea to do business.

He even proposed to use the imperial navy to protect merchants' ships when they went out to sea to do business!

This is really unreasonable!
How can the court's public property be used by merchants?
He really has forgotten his roots!
Xu Jie had already cursed Yan Shaoting from head to toe in his heart.

But on the surface, his expression was calm and unperturbed.

But the others present heard it like thunder.

Letting the court's navy protect merchants when they go out to sea is an idea that no one has ever proposed.

When everyone looked at Yan Shaoting again, there was clearly something more in their eyes.

Even the Minister of Rites Yan Ne.

I also wish I could raise my hand and agree at this moment.

As for the officials from the southeast present, they wanted to rush up and hug Yan Shaoting tightly and give him a passionate kiss.

What a good man!
Yan Binke is truly the best person in the world!

this moment.

Whoever says that Yan Binke is not the leader of the merchants in the southeast.

Who is the traitor!
Who is the traitor of the Ming Dynasty!

The imperial navy was, of course, used to protect the people of the Ming Dynasty.

If the imperial court wants to open the sea and allow merchants to go out to sea to do business, then naturally the imperial court will provide protection.

Both the logic and the reason make sense.

Who dares to oppose this?

Who is the enemy of the Ming Dynasty!

in the crowd.

Yan Shifan turned his head quietly and looked around.

A shrewd person like him naturally felt the change in the atmosphere among the crowd.

It seemed that at this moment, my own rebellious son had become the friend of everyone in the audience?
Yan Shifan's eyes turned and he soon understood the reason behind it.

Although the Yan family is not from the southeast, they have no interests in the southeast.

But through this incident, a large number of people in Southeast China have to rethink their relationship with the Yan family.

Yan Shaoting, however, still had a smile on his face, his expression calm.

This group of people are just influenced by the path dependence they had in the past and the inherent ideas they have.

As for whether it is government-run or privately-run, the goods are sold anyway, and the profits are earned by the outside world, so why should we distinguish them so clearly? As for the naval warship escort?
This is a very common thing in later generations.

It’s just that people nowadays have never thought about it, or they feel afraid of it.

But I can't.

Because the old Taoist priest knows best what he values.

then.

Yan Shaoting raised his head and looked at the old Taoist priest again.

"As an official in the court, I know that it is improper to use the imperial navy's warships to escort the merchant ships of the southeast merchants. However, compared with the profits brought by it, it is completely insignificant."

interest.

Apart from seeking fame, what the old Taoist priest values ​​most is profit.

And Xu Jie kept his mouth tightly shut.

Yan Shaoting has already said everything he wants to say, what else can I say?
Would it be disgraceful for the court to continue to use the imperial navy's warships?
Jiajing raised his eyebrows and said, "Then tell me yourself, how can the court benefit from this matter?"

Yan Shaoting smiled.

The old Taoist priest was still too embarrassed to say directly how the palace treasury could profit from the money outside the court.

But who are you?
Be loyal to the country and be strict with people!

The biggest royalist leader in the Ming Dynasty!
Yan Shaoting immediately said: "Your Majesty, I think the benefits of this matter can be divided into five parts!"

Five servings!

Jiajing frowned again.

Gao Gong immediately asked, "Mr. Yan, can we get five shares of the profit just from this voyage?"

Although Lao Gao is now in charge of the court's administration.

But in the final analysis, his job in the cabinet was to handle the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue.

How could he not care about the profits from money and grain?

Yan Shaoting nodded and began to explain without commenting.

"First, the Southeast sea merchants can take the profits from overseas and bring them into our country, which will increase the output of the people and further increase the income of the people."

"Secondly, in order to encourage merchants from the southeast to become sea merchants, our merchants can be exempted from commercial taxes when they carry goods to the sea, and when they return, they will be taxed according to the value of the goods they carry back. This will help the court to gain financial revenue."

"Third, when private merchants go overseas, the goods they transport can only be privately produced goods, which are also sold to the private sector overseas. The court can also imitate the silk business by selling official kiln porcelain, tribute tea, etc. to foreign merchants, specializing in trading with royal ministers of overseas countries to make profits for the court and the inner court."

"Fourthly, if our dynasty encourages officials and civilians to go overseas for trade, it can also increase the number of overseas merchants coming to our dynasty. Then the court can also impose commercial taxes on overseas merchants in the coastal ports to increase the court's commercial tax revenue."

"Fifth, when official and private merchant ships travel on the sea, our navy warships will escort them, which will inevitably increase the number of shipyards under the Ministry of Industry to build warships and merchant ships, which in turn will increase the government's fiscal revenue, and can also subsidize the shipyards under the government to build more powerful warships and merchant ships with more cargo. Although overseas is far away and our dynasty cannot reach it, one day our holy king's way will surely be displayed thousands of miles away with our warships and merchant ships."

The profits of Southeast Maritime Merchants must be guaranteed, otherwise this matter will not pass.

The benefits to the imperial court and the treasury must also be ensured.

This is why Yan Shaoting mentioned the difference between private and government-run schools.

The goods of the Ming people were naturally shipped and sold to the people in foreign countries. The Ming Dynasty's official kiln porcelain and the like could only be enjoyed by the chaotic royal family of Ouluba.

Merchants, the imperial court, and the inner court all benefited.

By the way, the navy will also receive more attention and more powerful warships in the future.

Although the navy has never been taken seriously.

But after all, it still belongs to the jurisdiction of the Five Military Commanderies.

The Ming Dynasty's nobles were probably happy to see the navy's strength increase.

Especially the policy of zero export tax for merchants in the southeast.

It will only continue to stimulate these people to export in large quantities.

As for the commercial taxes that need to be collected when they come back.

Considering the ocean trade profits that can be earned several times or even dozens of times in one trip, it is not worth mentioning at all.

Even the most unacceptable situation.

These businessmen are unwilling to pay even this little commercial tax.

Then they will just wait and see, and sink to the bottom of the sea along with their boats and people to feed the fish.

Even if they got ashore.

Naturally, there will be tax soldiers already formed in the two prefectures of Suzhou and Songjiang waiting there.

last of the last.

Yan Shaoting looked at the old Taoist priest solemnly.

He waved his robe, raised his arms, clasped his hands together, nodded, and bent over.

"Your Majesty."

"If Your Majesty approves this project, I estimate that within a few years, the profits we earn from overseas will be enough to offset the taxes on the land in our country!"

This statement came out.

Jiajing's eyebrows jumped violently uncontrollably.

He looked deeply at Yan Shaoting.

If it is true as Yan Shaoting said, then the tax revenues that the imperial court will receive in the future will not be as small as the profit of tens of millions of taels per year from the southeastern silk trade.

Instead, the Ming Dynasty’s fiscal and tax revenue will double!
How much silver would that cost?

Jiajing only felt that everything in front of his eyes was white, and it was all silver.

Just for a moment.

There were only two words left in the emperor's mind.

Go to sea!

Go to sea!

The Ming Dynasty must go to sea!

And in the minds of other people, there are also only two words.

agree!

agree!

Unconditionally agree!
Whoever disagrees is the enemy of everyone present!
Then.

Are there still such enemies now?

The emperor's eyes searched the crowd.

The officials present were also looking at each other.

Yan Shaoting remained silent.

I have said everything I wanted to say.

The game has been set up.

Next.

Just sit back and watch the situation change and continue to profit from it.

…………

Monthly PassMonthly Pass
　Title: Anti-Qing 1850

　　Introduction: The 30th year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty.

　　The foreign powers are eyeing us covetously, and at home, uprisings are surging.

　　The Qing Dynasty, which had existed for 206 years, was already on the decline.

　　This is a time of great change that has not happened in three thousand years.

　　Zhu Yuanhong kicked the Qing Dynasty into the abyss and announced to the world:
　　The mountains and rivers cover the land of China, and the sun and the moon open a new bright future.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)