open sea

Chapter 461
Zhao Shizhen, who was deeply brainwashed by Chen Mu in Nanyang, is not used to life in the hinterland of the capital. He knows what Chen Mu wants to do, and he also knows how impossible Chen Mu's vision is determined by the environment of the capital.

It seems that the administrative center of Ming Dynasty will never regard overseas as the starting point for development. People care more about where disasters and harvests occur, which brings Zhao Shizhen a deeper sense of frustration.

Even if the chief assistant of the court and the emperor were eager to learn about overseas affairs, it was only for a little more understanding, and there was no intention of paying attention to it.

The imperial court's emphasis on foreign countries only stayed for a short time during the years of Emperor Longqing's reign. The treasury was unable to make ends meet, and a breakthrough was urgently needed to increase income and reduce expenditure to survive that period. Chen Mu and the Nanyang Military Mansion took this breakthrough very well.

In return, the Nanyang Military Government has all the powers overseas, and it still retains it even now.

But that emphasis is no longer there. Since Zhang Juzheng was in charge of the power, the implementation of the examination law and the implementation of the taxation system have made the administration of officials more clear and clear, and the atmosphere has been reversed.

In contrast, where does maritime revenue go?

When each tax revenue is 900 million and the expenditure is 3000 million, the Nanyang Military Mansion's 100 million taels of shipping is the top priority.

But when the expenditure is 3000 million taels and the income is 300 million taels, is the 100 million taels overseas still important?
Mountains of gold and silver would hardly have an impact on Daming.

However, the little Wanli Emperor, who was forced to study by the real emperor Zhang Juzheng, brought a glimmer of hope to Zhao Shizhen. The emperor was full of curiosity about overseas.

"Your Majesty, the people of Shanxi are suffering from disasters. The elder Ge ordered the ministers to follow the governor to relieve the disaster. As soon as the money from the household department arrives, the ministers are about to leave."

After the lecture in the Wenhua Hall was over, the academicians withdrew, and Zhao Shizhen asked Zhang Juzheng for instructions and got a moment to bid farewell to the emperor. ,

In the empty hall, after the scholars and guests had retreated, only the guards and accompanying eunuchs remained in the palace. Emperor Wanli, who was only eleven years old, stood up from the seat below, bowed to Zhao Shizhen, and said, "Changji, tell me about Huntianqiu again." .”

The so-called celestial sphere is a globe, known to the Poor Nanyang military government at the beginning of the year, first covering the copper sphere, then drawing and engraving the map, and painting it with different lacquer colors.

The Huntian sphere in the palace was not made by the Nanyang Military Mansion. No one in the world knows the production style of Chen Mu. After Zhang Juzheng saw it, he sent it to the Ministry of Industry, and asked the officials of the Ministry of Industry to make it again as it was. It was much more exquisite. , and then sent to the palace.

Now maps have been circulated among officials of the Ming Dynasty, wealthy merchants in the north and south, and landlords, but they are not in the shape of a sphere, but are often seen on porcelain and furnaces, forming the characteristics of the pattern in the Longwan period.

Zhao Shizhen was very pleased with the emperor's preference for foreign affairs. After nodding, he walked quickly to the huge Huntian sphere, turned around and said, "Where does your majesty want the minister to start with?"

"Where is Shanxi?"

Zhao Shizhen turned the hollow copper ball half a person's height, and said: "This is Shanxi, and the Great Wall separates Mongolia to the north. Xuan and Dafu are the frontiers. .”

"General Zhenshuo cannon!"

The little Wanli Emperor answered quickly, and recited: "The Armament Bureau was established by Chen Mu when he was General Zhenshuo during the Longqing period. He eliminated the shortcomings of the Wanquandu Division, reorganized military weapons, made bird guns and heavy artillery, and was named General Zhenshuo by the first emperor. General Shuo loaded the car with a total weight of 470 six catties and four taels, I know it all!"

It is written in the Tao Te Ching that the little emperor was at the time when he was most interested in weapons, and was forced by Zhang Juzheng to learn the art of fighting the king like a strict father. He felt sleepy when he heard it, but he was interested in learning from Chen Mu. very.

Wanli was born in Prince Yu's Mansion. As far as I can remember, it was time to enter the Forbidden City to become the prince. In those years, the world was in chaos. It was either civil unrest in various places or the northern captives invaded the border. Battle reports flew into the capital like snowflakes, and even the Forbidden City could not stop it. Live the news of the disaster of war.

The emperor was interested, Zhao Shizhen was willing to teach, and Chen Mu wrote it clearly in the textbook. The 11-year-old Wanli Emperor even clearly understood the steps between loading and reloading the cannon.

"Your Majesty is wise."

Zhao Shizhen clasped his hands and said, "However, it is not enough to know about weapons. The graduates of the North and South Martial Arts Halls are all disciples of His Majesty. Chen Shuai said that weapons are important, and the people who use them are more important."

"I know! The two students in the first phase of the North-South Martial Arts Hall 760 are all my students!" The little emperor replied very proudly, walked to the side of the sky and looked carefully, and asked: "Where is Guangdong located?" What, is this? No, this is Nanzhi, Nanzhi, Zhili."

"Return to Your Majesty, Guangdong is here, facing the sea to the south, it is the southernmost point of Ming Dynasty."

As soon as Zhao Shizhen finished speaking, little Wanli looked at this and that on the copper ball, frowned and said with a tiger face: "No, the southernmost in the world is Xinming, there is no easternmost nor westernmost, they are connected together. Yes, the Lion Kingdom, the westernmost land of the Ming Dynasty, just sent the letter of credence a few days ago."

Zhao Shizhen nodded quickly and said yes, thinking that the emperor remembered this matter quite clearly, and he knew it after listening to it once.

To be honest, it is not easy to teach the emperor to read. If it is Zhang Juzheng, it is no problem. Qi Jiguang, Chen Mu, and Li Chengliang are also okay, but it is too difficult for someone like him. The guards in the hall are afraid even if they cough .

"The ball is so big, why is it called Da Ming? This is obviously Xiao Ming."

Emperor Wanli stretched his small arms and legs, wishing he could pull the big sleeves of the dragon robe over his shoulders, the sun and the moon, and pointed to the national boundaries on the sphere with his small arms, saying: "The blue one is the Ming Dynasty of Haichi, and the pink one is the tributary country. Ah, why do you still have color?"

Mongolia in the north, Jurchen, the countries of the Indochina Peninsula, Mughals, Ottomans, and even distant Spain all have vast and huge territories. Compared with them, although Ming is big, it is not too big.

"Return to Your Majesty, the rest is for other countries."

The little emperor curled his lips in displeasure when he heard what Zhao Shizhen said, and muttered in a low voice: "If you want to fill it all up, how long will it take?"

"Your Majesty, you don't necessarily need to go to war." Telling the little emperor about this made Zhao Shizhen a little amused. Even if he is the emperor, how can an 11-year-old emperor start a war?He said: "It's not that you can't turn the countries into your own, it's just that turning them into your own is not easy to manage."

"How can you allow others to snore on the side of the couch!"

The little emperor's words were resounding, and he smiled embarrassingly with his mouth curled up, and then he smiled awkwardly, and asked, "Yes, is that what I said?"

Zhao Shizhen could only nod his head and said: "Your Majesty is right, Chen Shuai is now trying to find a piece of land beside the Spanish couch for sleeping soundly, but the treaty has not yet been reached, and he may be in this place soon."

He turned the sphere, and the copper ball made a slow and blunt sound. It settled on the side with Spain, and said: "Sevilla is about here. In the future, Daming may be able to lease this place for 100 years, and it will also turn red."

The little emperor looked at the copper ball with the carved map, and sighed solemnly like an adult.

"For coloring, I have a long way to go!"

(End of this chapter)