My father Zhu Gaoxu

Chapter 12

"What a big lobster, where did it come from?"

When Zhu Zhanhe came to the gazebo, he immediately saw a large lobster that was more than a foot long on the stone table, and immediately yelled in surprise.

"There are some contacts at home. It was just delivered this morning. Come and try it!"

Huang Tai smiled and handed over a pair of chopsticks. Jinling is not close to the sea, and it is not easy to transport sea goods. If ten lobsters are shipped, only one may survive, so ordinary people cannot enjoy this delicious food at all.

Zhu Zhanhe took the chopsticks and was about to speak, but he suddenly stopped, looked up and asked curiously: "Didn't Emperor Taizu issue a ban on crossing the sea, and even forbid people to go fishing in the sea? How did you get this lobster?" ?”

"There is indeed a sea ban, but the people along the coast have to live, and there are still many people who secretly go to sea. The reason why the sea ban has been reiterated many times is that there are too many people who go to sea without permission. In the West, there are more people who go to sea privately."

Huang Tai explained.

"I see. I heard that Zheng He went to the Western Ocean again. This should be his fourth voyage to the Western Ocean, right?"

Zhu Zhanhe tasted the delicious lobster and casually brought up the topic of Zheng He.

"That's right, it's the fourth time. I heard that he's coming back soon. There will definitely be another quarrel in the court."

Huang Tai shook his head when he said this, and seemed to have a lot of opinions on this matter.

"Going to the west to spread the prestige of my Ming Dynasty and make small overseas countries surrender, what's the fuss about such a dignified matter?"

Zhu Zhanhe asked casually.

"It's true to exalt my Ming's national prestige, but it costs a lot of money to go to the West every time. Once or twice is fine, but if there are too many times, even if my Ming Dynasty is powerful, I can't stand it. Therefore, many ministers are against this matter."

Huang Tai also sighed at the end, it seemed that he didn't agree with the voyage.

"That's even more wrong. I heard that Zheng He's fleet can bring back countless rare treasures every time he sails to the West, including countless gold and silver. In comparison, the little cost of going to sea What kind of?"

Zhu Zhanhe also stopped his chopsticks and asked again.

"The fleet did bring back a lot of gold and silver treasures, but these things were not given to the imperial court. Therefore, for the imperial court, sailing to the west is a loss-making business, and the officials are of course unwilling to do it."

"What do you mean, where did the gold and silver treasures brought by the fleet go to the court?"

Zhu Zhanhe was even more puzzled, the time he traveled was too short, and he hadn't had time to understand these things.

"This one……"

Huang Tai hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke in a low voice.

"Your Majesty personally conquered Mobei, you know?"

"I know, His Majesty just defeated the Oirats last year, and he hasn't come back yet."

Zhu Zhanhe nodded again.

"Every time I go to the north in the Ming Dynasty, hundreds of thousands of troops are dispatched together, and countless materials and money are consumed. Where do you think all this money comes from?"

Huang Tai reminded.

"I see, it turns out that the money brought by the voyages was spent on the Northern Expedition!"

Zhu Zhanhe slapped the table, and Zhu Di spent money like water during the Northern Expedition, and only the huge profits brought by his voyages to the West could support this consumption.

"Understood, the imperial court paid for the voyage to the West, but the proceeds were all used by His Majesty for the Northern Expedition. There is no benefit of losing a penny to the treasury. If I were an official, I would definitely object."

Huang Tai shook his head and expressed his opinion.

"I think the reasons why some officials oppose the voyages are not that simple!"

Unexpectedly, Zhu Zhanhe suddenly smiled mysteriously.

"What do you mean?"

Huang Tai was taken aback for a moment before asking.

"As you said just now, Uncle Huang, the sea ban does not prevent private people from entering the sea. As far as I know, my Ming's goods are very popular overseas. It has been multiplied several times, so before sailing to the west, there must have been many coastal businessmen relying on smuggling to make huge profits."

Zhu Zhanhe said that he had a bite of food here, and then he continued in a leisurely manner.

"But now that the imperial court organizes a fleet to go to the west, it must squeeze out the interests of these smuggling merchants. It is not difficult to know that these smuggling merchants have rich backgrounds, train their clansmen to study and become officials, or secretly buy some officials to speak for them."

"This...isn't it possible?"

Huang Tai was shocked when he heard this, he had never considered the problem from this direction.

"How can it be impossible? Cutting people's fortunes is like killing their parents. In fact, as long as I check the background behind those officials who oppose voyages and who they have close contacts with, I can verify whether my guess is correct."

Zhu Zhanhe sneered.

In fact, this is not his unfounded random guess, but he has read some historical materials in this regard in later generations. The voyage to the West was later abolished, and even the navigation materials could not be found, which has a lot to do with these people.

Huang Tai frowned urgently, the expression on his face fluctuated, and he didn't know what he was thinking?
"Haha, Uncle Huang, don't worry about these things. We two little people can't control such important national affairs at all. We can only complain a few times during the chat."

Seeing Huang Tai's appearance, Zhu Zhanhe couldn't help laughing.

In his opinion, let alone Huang Tai, even he, the heir of the King of Han, could only watch from afar and couldn't say a word.

"What I'm talking about is that this kind of important national affairs should be left to the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty to have a headache!"

Huang Tai also reacted when he heard the words, and immediately grinned, but this smile looked a little awkward.

After lunch, Zhu Zhanhe bid farewell and left. A servant came forward to clean up the dishes and brought a pot of hot tea.

"Did he recognize me?"

Huang Tai picked up the teacup and took a sip, then suddenly said.

"Impossible, the son has lost his memory completely, and he can't remember the people and things in the past at all."

A familiar voice came, and then Yao Guangxiao came out from behind the gazebo, and sat opposite to Huang Tai.

"That is to say, what he said just now was just something he thought up on the spur of the moment, and it didn't have any calculations."

Huang Tai breathed a sigh of relief, sitting in his position, he had to pay attention to everything.

Zhu Zhanhe's previous alias was Wang Shi, and the word "zi" was missing from the end, and Huang Tai's name also lacked a "zi" at the end. That's right, he is Zhu Gaochi, the crown prince of Ming Dynasty.

I have to say that the two are worthy of being uncles and nephews, and they are so lazy in terms of aliases. The only difference is that Zhu Gaochi knew the identity of Zhu Zhanhe long ago, but Zhu Zhanhe has been kept in the dark.

"The prince has changed a lot. The reason why I haven't let him go during this period is because I want to know more about him, but the more I look at him, the more I feel that I can't see through him!"

Yao Guangxiao sighed. Regarding Zhu Zhanhe's changes, he had already told Zhu Gaochi in private, of course he said what he could say, but he concealed what he couldn't say.

"Before I didn't believe that Zhan He really lost his memory, so I deliberately arranged to meet him here by chance, but I didn't expect him to call me uncle. It seems that I really forgot about the past."

Zhu Gaochi also smiled when he said this, thinking of the time he spent with Zhu Zhanhe during this time, since he became the prince, he has not met someone as interesting as Zhu Zhanhe for a long time, compared to the previous Zhu Zhanhe, he is still Now this nephew is more likable.

"The prince doesn't seem to care about the changes in the son?"

Seeing Zhu Gaochi's expression, Yao Guangxiao couldn't help frowning.

"No matter how it changes, he is also the second son's son. Since the second son didn't say anything, what can I say as an uncle?"

Zhu Gaochi smiled freely, compared to Zhu Zhanhe, he cared more about Zhu Gaoxu.

"That's true. When it comes to the King of Han, he made a lot of noise in the city some time ago. Although the matter is over, the King of Han should have an explanation!"

Yao Guangxiao said suddenly.

Before Zhu Gaoxu led troops to attack the imperial city, if Zhu Zhanhe hadn't woken up in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable, but Zhu Gaoxu didn't give any explanation afterwards, not even a word of apology, it definitely wouldn't work.

"I understand what you mean, young master, did you send someone for the second child?"

Zhu Gaochi knew what he said, and immediately heard that Yao Guangxiao was trying to make peace, so he asked the brothers to sit down and have a good chat.

Although the conflict between Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaoxu has been irreconcilable, at least on the surface it is necessary to maintain a peaceful situation to avoid the internal division of Ming Dynasty due to their conflicts.

"Already invited, it should be here soon!"

Yao Guangxiao nodded. The reason why he likes Zhu Gaochi more is because it is easy to talk to smart people. On the other hand, Zhu Gaoxu, the only thing he can communicate with is Zhu Di's fist and stick.

As soon as Yao Guangxiao finished speaking, there was a sound of heavy footsteps coming from the bamboo forest path, and then the burly Zhu Gaoxu walked over.

(End of this chapter)