Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 331 Zhu Youjian reprimands Liu Kongzhao

After Zhu Youjian heard about the incident about Liu Kongzhao Liu Kongzhao’s stay in southern Fujian by the commander of the Jinyiwei, instead of being angry, Zhu Youjian laughed: “He really said that, he said that half of the world belongs to his surname Liu, and he also said that I belong to Daming.” The world must have half the credit of his Liu family?"

Wu Mengming didn't know whether Chongzhen Emperor Zhu Youjian really didn't care, even Liu Kongzhao's crime could be tolerated, and he was still laughing out of anger, so he could only continue to reply dignifiedly:
"Yes, I dare not say half a lie, and I dare not slander and slander Bo Cheng at will. This is indeed the news that Jin Yiwei's spies in the Dutch East India Company personally heard. The existing transcript is here. Your Majesty can refer to it. .”

Emperor Chongzhen Zhu Youjian looked up at Wu Mengming. At the end of the 18th year of Chongzhen, he just mentioned one sentence, asking Jinyiwei to spread the intelligence network wider, such as Xiyangfan, Uszang, Hamiwei, and even Dongyang and North Korea. Only spies from Jinyiwei will do.

Zhu Youjian didn't expect that Wu Mengming didn't perfunctorily follow his previous instructions, and actually planted Jinyiwei in the hands of the Dutch, but Zhu Youjian didn't know how Wu Mengming did it, and he didn't bother to ask. Wu Mengming was only asked to record the detailed conversation between Liu Kongzhao and Fan der Lan to him.

After looking carefully for a while, Zhu Youjian threw the transcript on the ground: "This is Liu Kongzhao!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down. Although Bo Chengyi said that he had no choice but to say something, he was a little mad, but His Majesty shouldn't get angry because of it."

Wu Mengming thought that Zhu Youjian really wanted Longyan to be furious and start killing, but he was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat, trembling to persuade Zhu Youjian.

"Why are you so flustered, as if I want to eat people, I'm angry that Liu Kongzhao is ignorant, he really doesn't take Daming's money seriously, let's talk about him after he returns to Beijing."

Zhu Youjian didn't mention Liu Kongzhao's rude words at all, and he could guess that the reason why Liu Kongzhao dared to brag in front of Fan der Lan was to scare Fan der Lan.

After Liu Kongzhao arrived in Nanjing with the "Stubborn John" and other warships and Dutch prisoners, he was called into the palace by Zhu Youjian the next day.

"I heard that you are doing a big business in the south, and you even told a certain Hongmao fan that half of the people in the world belong to your surname Liu. Is there such a thing?"

With the intelligence system of Jinyiwei, Zhu Youjian now basically knows what Liu Kongzhao did in the south.

In fact, Zhu Youjian thought that Liu Kongzhao was able to establish a cooperative relationship with the Netherlands, and that he could use his bragging words to use [-] silver dollars as the initial funds to bring the world together before the Zheng Group belonging to the Ming Dynasty went to war with the Dutch colonists. The behavior of getting the most advanced first-class sailing warship into his own hands is very affirmative.

Just as Wu Mengming, the Commander of Jinyiwei, has a higher opinion of Wu Mengming, now Zhu Youjian also looks a little differently at such a nobleman as Liu Kongzhao.

Therefore, after seeing Liu Kongzhao, Zhu Youjian still had a smile on his face, without the slightest hint of anger.

But when Liu Kongzhao heard Zhu Youjian's words, he was like five thunderbolts. He didn't expect that His Majesty would know what he said on Van der Laan's battleship. Looking back, he didn't know how many pairs of eyes were staring at him beside His Majesty.

"Your Majesty, I was just joking, to deceive that red-haired fan named Vanderlan, and did not mean to offend Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

Liu Kongzhao cried loudly with a mournful face.

Liu Kongzhao couldn't help but not be afraid. It would be fine if His Majesty didn't hear such words. If he was heard, no one would say anything wrong even if he was punished by the Nine Clans.

"Get up, don't you have a lot of guts? Why are you afraid of becoming like this again? I know you are doing it for a while, so I will forgive you this time, but sometimes you still have to be careful when you speak. I don’t know what you’re thinking, tell me what you’ve seen and heard in the south this time, if you dare to make half a lie, be careful with your head!”

Zhu Youjian said coldly, and then secretly smiled when he raised the teacup.

Liu Kongzhao stood up tremblingly, said yes, thanked him, and then hurriedly explained how to find out the depth of the Zheng family after he went to the south, how to get in touch with the Dutch, how to get the Dutch first-class sailing warship , How the Zheng Group regained Dongfan Mansion, and even told Zhu Youjian in detail about how he went to Dongyang to test the cannon.

After listening to Liu Kongzhao's narration, Zhu Youjian only asked: "You and Van der Laan ordered a first-class sailing warship for 30 silver dollars, a second-class sailing warship for 20 silver dollars, and a third-class sailing warship for [-] silver dollars. ,Right."

Liu Kongzhao nodded.

Seeing this, Zhu Youjian threw the memorial in his hand towards Liu Kongzhao: "You are really rich. If I guessed right, even if his red-haired Dutch country is small and has few people, it is an iron mine for building large warships." And the raw materials have to be purchased from other places, and the cost of a first-class warship should not be higher than 15 silver dollars, plus the cost of shipping to Daming, the total price of 20 silver dollars per ship is sky-high, you are fine, come directly I paid 30 silver dollars for a ship! Before Yang Mingshen spent 300 million to buy [-] warships from Fu Langji, I didn’t say anything, after all, it was paid by his Yang family himself. Now you are buying in the name of the court. What do you want me to say about you! The money of the court is not money!"

Liu Kongzhao did not expect that the emperor Zhu Youjian was so clear about the cost of a first-class warship, and he said it so clearly.

"According to your majesty, is this humble minister really cheated by this Van der Laan?"

Zhu Youjian nodded.

Liu Kongzhao couldn't help but slapped his forehead: "Wei Chen thought he had taken advantage of it. These bloody red ghosts are really abominable. He actually asked Wei Chen for 50 silver dollars for a boat at the beginning! If it weren't for Your Majesty's sage, I would I'm afraid I've been kept in the dark, but I dare to ask, how did you know, Your Majesty?"

"I have been taught by Taizu Meng, there is nothing in the world that I don't know."

Zhu Youjian smiled lightly, and asked Liu Kongzhao: "When you brag about it with others, why didn't you say that you also got Su Hui, the ancestor Liu Bowen?"

"How can I have the luck of His Majesty? If I have a bit of wisdom from his old man, I won't be so miserable by a group of red-haired gangsters. It's just your Majesty, do you want to admit this contract? However, I guess I'm afraid that this business will never be done again, but fortunately, Wei Chen only gave him one hundred thousand silver dollars for Vanderlan, and it's not a loss if the total is calculated."

Liu Kongzhao sneered and said with a smile.

"If they are willing, the business can still be done. A total of 450 million silver dollars plus some gifts is not too bad. Let the imperial court pay your tuition fees to you, Liu Dajin. Fortunately, the money is also sent to the north. It’s not a big loss to Da Ming from the merchants, remember this lesson, if you want to buy a ship in the future, you have to find out the other party’s veins, besides, you don’t spend money like this.”

Zhu Youjian also knew that Liu Kongzhao was not to blame for this incident. After all, he did not know the actual price of a sailing warship. In the [-]th century, it was only about [-] pounds, and it is only in the middle of the [-]th century. With the current technology of Western fans, it may not be lower than this price.

What's more, the current first-class sailing warship is the most advanced warship in the world. It can be said that there is no market for the price, and it is good to be willing to sell.

Of course, it doesn’t matter even if the price is expensive. Zhu Youjian would like to see the most to start establishing trade relations with Western fans such as the Netherlands. After all, the money lost will be made back sooner or later.

(End of this chapter)