With Cheng Qiyun's accurate information, Yang Ling also began to act urgently.
In fact, he had already explained the pros and cons of lifting the sea ban to Grand Secretary Li Dongyang. Ever since he understood the officials' real opposition to lifting the sea ban, he also knew that the officials' opposition was not as short-sighted as he had imagined. Perhaps they could not see the far-reaching significance of lifting the sea ban to synchronize with the world, but at least for now, they understood the benefits of lifting the sea ban for the court.
However, due to their own selfishness, many officials were content with the status quo. Therefore, although they had to speak reason, it was impossible to get the officials to respond just by speaking reason. They had to suppress them politically so that they would no longer have any excuses.
What Yang Ling needed to do was to openly suppress them in court. Only by doing so could this policy of the state be carried out.
At this time, Tang Yixian had just come out of the bathroom in the small building that was drawn from the natural boiling spring. She had just taken a bath, and the spring water had flushed her peach blossom like beautiful face. She wore a jade-white hooded shirt, a water pink alkaline silk dress, and a long silk dress. Her hair was wet, and she looked natural.
Zhengde's eyes lit up when he saw her, and he blurted out a praise: "So beautiful …"
Tang Yixian glared at him and said angrily: "Don't say it."
Zhengde said: "Not even a word of praise?"
Tang Yixian rolled her eyes and said: "Didn't you say that you are well-versed in both literature and martial arts? Then write a poem to praise this Ji Zhou hot spring, I am all ears. Remember, don't say anything about the hot spring being washed smooth and congealed fat. "
Hearing this, Zhengde frowned and thought seriously for a while. He said: "Even the deep winter of the sea is unusual, how can the ice pool be warm like soup? The Rong Rong branch has been passed down from present to ancient times, and does not wash the cold intestines of the human world. "
Tang Yixian's eyes widened in astonishment. She looked at him for a while and suddenly burst into laughter. She praised: "I couldn't tell, I really couldn't tell. You are so young, a little guard, but your poem is actually so … so majestic."
Hearing her praise, Zhengde's eyebrows lit up with happiness. By this time Princess Yongchun, accompanied by two of her trusted maids, had also rushed in excitedly. As soon as she entered the room, she said, "Miss Tang has bathed and changed her clothes? Great! Come, come, come, let's play the game. I even brought some chilled grape wine. Whoever loses will have to drink a glass as punishment. "
She glanced at Zhengde with a smile and said, "This Princess and Miss Tang will play the 'ye zi' game. If you like, you can also bet."
Tang YiXian was an expert when it came to things like wine, women, avarice, and anger. She had been trained since she was a child in the 'Silk Flower House'. When she came to the Acting Prince's Mansion, she often played this game with the palace maids and rarely lost. But the opponent was the Princess. The clever and clever Tang YiXian did not dare to make a complete mess of her. If Zhengde followed to bet, it didn't matter if he lost because he wanted to please the Princess for his cousin, but wouldn't his pitiful salary be completely gone?
So Tang YiXian quickly advised, "Your Highness, let's just play cards. How much salary can a small captain have? It's better not to let him bet."
Yongchun giggled and said, "You are actually kind-hearted. Are you afraid that he will lose because of you? Let him bet. If you lose, punish him with a glass of wine. As for this little captain … punish him with ten beans. "
Tang YiXian did not know that the beans she was talking about were golden beans. She smiled and said, "Very well. Princess, please take a seat. This common girl will accompany Your Highness to play cards."
Yang Ling carefully sorted out the matter. He wrote a secret letter and sent it to the Grand Secretary Jiao Fang on horseback. Then he smiled and stretched his waist and slowly walked out of the pavilion.
The night of early spring was still cold, and the trees were not dense enough. The mountain breeze blew gently, and the sound of flowing spring water could be heard. The twinkling stars contrasted with the bright moon that was like a silver plate, and the silver light poured down like mercury from the heavens.
The guards standing quietly under the moonlight saw him and bowed to pay their respects. Yang Ling stood at a high place. He held the cloak tightly on his body. Suddenly a sense of pride rose in his heart: Beautiful wives and concubines, fame and fortune. Everything that every man dreams of, I have already obtained. Once, I was such an insignificant person. But what I am doing now, can change the entire history. Who would have thought that in the midst of sensual pleasures, I have already secretly planned everything.
The mountain breeze suddenly carried the sound of a zither. It matched with the cool breeze, like falling flowers. Yang Ling walked towards the sound. The sound of the zither gradually became clearer. The sound was like a meandering stream with falling flowers. The sound flowed along the rocks of the stream, stirring up countless crystal clear water droplets.
There was a small building in front. Yang Ling saw that it was the residence of the Eldest Princess. He could not help but feel a little strange. Just now he heard that the Eldest Princess and an immortal were playing 'Leaves Play'. Could it be that the Eldest Princess did not go? He stopped and asked the guard at the door, "Who is playing the zither?"
The guard saw that it was Yang Ling and hurriedly bowed, "Greetings, Mr Yang. It is Her Royal Highness who is playing the zither."
Yang Ling uttered an 'oh' and turned to leave. Suddenly the sound of the zither stopped. A palace maid dressed in green appeared in front of the hall. She gracefully bowed and said, "The Eldest Princess invites Mr Yang to enter the hall."
Yang Ling stopped and hesitated for a moment. Then he turned and entered the hall.
The sound of the zither started again. It was faint and elegant. 'Wind Enters the Pines'? Yang Ling could not help but slow down his steps. The wind came with the person and gently brushed the curtain. The curtain was like water. Behind the curtain, a candle flickered. Princess Yongfu was dressed in white and sat cross-legged. She was like a clear lotus coming out of the water. There was a zither in front of her.
The thin curtain was transparent. It only added a little haziness to the beauty behind the curtain. Princess Yongfu's black and thick eyelashes were drooping. She casually fiddled with them. Her white hands were more exquisite than the jade on the zither.
She seemed to have just come out of the hot spring. She was dressed in a clean plain white robe. The clothes were light and soft. Although they were big, they stuck closely to her chest. The undulating folds of the robe faintly revealed the beautiful peaks of her chest. Her large sleeves were rolled up a few times. Her jade-like white wrist gently flipped with the sound of the zither.
Yongfu's beautiful hair was gathered into a bundle. It was gathered in front of her chest. It was like a long black and soft stream flowing on the undulating snowfield. The Eldest Princess, who had always shown herself in magnificent palace clothes, was graceful and noble. But at this time, she was dressed in light clothes without any decorations. She looked soft and lovely.
However, even though she was so beautiful, her temperament was still high and mighty. She had grown up in the royal family, and her every action, expression, and temperament were not something that could be imitated by any skilled actress. So far, only Zhengde was an anomaly in the royal family.
Yang Ling stood quietly. When Princess Yongfu finished playing, Yang Ling bowed deeply and said, "Greetings to Your Royal Highness the Eldest Princess."
Princess Yongfu stared at him for a moment with her clear and bright eyes. Then she waved her hand and said, "All of you, leave!"
Yang Ling then noticed that there were two palace maids standing in the shadows behind her. They were quiet and motionless. Princess Yongfu's beauty was dazzling. They were also standing in the shadows, so no one had noticed their presence.
After the two palace maids left, Yongfu said, "Mister Yang, the late Emperor and Imperial Brother have always favored and trusted Daren. Ben Princess also has a very good impression of Daren. So I took the liberty to invite Daren in. I have some sincere words to tell you. Originally … women are not allowed to participate in state affairs. Can you just treat it as a private conversation between close friends? "
Yang Ling looked at her in surprise. He saw that pair of bright eyes were looking at him. He quickly said, "Please tell me, Princess. I will tell you everything I know."
Princess Yongfu took a breath and suddenly said, "Imperial Brother has always been preposterous. Daren's temperament is steady. Imperial Brother has Daren's assistance. Ben Princess is very comforted. But this time after Daren returned to the capital, he has also become frivolous and impetuous. When we were 'kissing silkworms', Ben Princess had heard the noblewomen talking about how Imperial Brother has been very mischievous recently. You also … "
She bit her lip and continued, "Daren's kindness and foolishness are already the first in this dynasty. Ben Princess can see that Imperial Brother is very fond of your cousin. If your cousin enters the palace, your position will be even more popular. Being in a high position and wielding great power, one should be cautious and cautious. Every word and action should be like walking on thin ice … Don't look at Ben Princess as a woman. I also understand these things. If Daren relies on Imperial Brother's favor and is dissolute, sooner or later … Don't tell me … You are really young and have forgotten yourself? "
Yang Ling hesitated for a while. He did not know how to answer. A look of disappointment gradually appeared in Princess Yongfu's eyes. She gently brushed her sleeves and the zither hummed. Yongfu sighed sadly, "Forget it. Just pretend that Ben Princess did not ask. You … can leave."
Yang Ling's heart warmed. After weighing the pros and cons, he finally revealed his difficulties of keeping a low profile and protecting himself. After hearing this, Princess Yongfu's eyes lit up. She happily said, "So that's how it is."
She heard the noblewomen's words. What she was most worried about was that Yang Ling would wield great power and be arrogant. If this continued, it would not be long before he would become the fear of the court. He would eventually lose his reputation. Now she knew that not only was he not greedy for power, he even had the intention of delegating power. His dissolute and unrestrained behavior of wine and women had actually given others something to use against him. Not only did he fulfill Imperial Brother's favor, he also took into account the fear of the court officials. With such painstaking efforts, he was indeed not a frivolous and unrestrained shallow person.
Princess Yongfu's heart was filled with joy. Her slender white fingers lightly plucked the zither. Her posture was graceful and graceful. After a while, she suddenly frowned and looked up at Yang Ling. She angrily said, "Ben Princess was a little puzzled. You have always been a calm person. Why did you readily agree to Imperial Sister this time? You did not ask for Imperial Mother's permission and did not want the Ministry of Internal Affairs to accompany you. You agreed to bring us to the Summer Palace for a tour. So … Humph! If you want to humiliate yourself, then humiliate yourself. Why did you include Ben Princess in it? "
If this noble and graceful Heavenly Lady were to put down her status and be slightly angry, her charm would be even more moving. Fortunately, Yang Ling's brows were lowered and he did not dare to keep looking up at her. But just listening to her sweet voice, his heart was slightly moved.
Yang Ling hurriedly apologized and poured out his grievances. Princess Yongfu listened for a while and begged for mercy. "Alright, alright. I know you are full of grievances and have put in a lot of effort, but …"
She looked slightly bashful and said, "But … you are a dignified Marquis. Even if you want to humiliate yourself, you should not often stay in that … that kind of place. Asking the Princess out of the Palace is considered young and absurd. It will be difficult for you to wash away the stigma of going in and out of a brothel. "
Yang Ling laughed dryly and said, "In the eyes of those great scholars, I am not a good person. Adding the name of a wastrel is nothing."
Princess Yongfu had a faint smile on her face. She quietly said, "It's fine if you don't care about your reputation. When you return to the capital this time, Imperial Mother will summon you again to teach you a lesson. Sir Yang, since you have even schemed against me, don't blame me for not being willing to protect you this time. "
* * *
On the trip to Ji Province, Zhengde and the others had a great time. The 'daily post' of the hundreds of officials in the capital was also temporarily stopped. It was rare for the two Princesses, Yongfu and Yongchun, to meet a beautiful and talented girl. They were also compatible with each other. In addition, they had already decided that she would be their Imperial Brother's favorite concubine in the future. So they got along well. After two days, they had become close friends.
Emperor Zhengde had already agreed to Yang Ling's plan to lift the ban on the sea. If it were not for Yang Ling's worry that he would be opposed by the hundreds of officials if he was not well prepared, he would have issued an edict to open the sea. Now that he heard that Yang Ling was ready, he could not contain his joy.
On the first day Zhengde returned to the capital, the Inspectorate's Imperial Messenger Liu Guan, the Ministry of Punishments's Vice Minister Ni Yuanlu, the Imperial Palace's Minister Ma Wuding, and the Office of Transmission's Minister of Communications Qi He submitted a petition in support of Yan Song's policy of opening the sea. They asked the Emperor to discuss politics with the hundreds of officials.
These people were all high-ranking officials who had close relationships with the coastal aristocrats. The Imperial Bodyguard had found out that their families had been smuggling the sea for huge profits and used this to threaten them. The Ministry of Internal Affairs guaranteed that as long as they agreed to open the sea to trade, their families would be able to openly share the profits. Since they were already under the control of others, they had no room to weigh the pros and cons. They could only stand on Yang Ling's side and act as the vanguard.
Zhengde ignored it and passed it on to the cabinet. This matter had not yet attracted the attention of most officials. They were still keen on remonstrating. However, there was one more impeachment, which was that Yang Ling had overstepped etiquette and moved the Princess's carriage without permission from the harem. He had taken a commoner's daughter and moved into the Summer Palace. However, what made Yang Ling curious was that the harem was quiet. The Empress Dowager and the Empress actually did not come to make trouble for him.
On the second day, the Jiangnan and Guangxi Provinces' Imperial Messengers, Hanlin Academy's Lecturers, Zhan Shi Fu's Zuo Chunfang, and a total of eleven people supported the lifting of the sea ban and asked the Emperor to discuss it in court. Only now did this matter attract the attention of the hundreds of officials. However, it was too late. Zhengde did not give them a chance to link up and discuss countermeasures. Early the next morning, Zhengde called for a court conference and gathered all the civil and military officials to discuss the matter.
On that day, the Minister of Ministry of Rites, Wang Hua, Right Imperial Messenger Liu Yu, Assistant Minister of War Cao Yuan, Assistant Minister of Appointments Zhang Cai, and a total of eight people with real power submitted a petition to the Golden Palace in support of lifting the sea ban. It was lightning fast. Such a swift action stunned the officials. In particular, the Emperor consulted the three scholars in the cabinet. Li Dongyang and Jiao Fang both expressed their support in court. Yang Tinghe also did not object. He immediately roped in a considerable portion of the officials who had a wait-and-see attitude and expressed their support for lifting the sea ban.
With this, the Minister of Ministry of Works and the Minister of Ministry of Punishments had just come to power. Their foundations were still shallow and they did not dare to express their opinions. Liu Daxia could not restrain his anger. Yang Ling not only controlled the power to supervise the officials, but also the power to control the military. He already felt that this was very inappropriate. Yang Ling had close ties with the internal court. With such a large amount of power in his hands, he would become an unshakable force. If he had any intentions of rebelling, it would be difficult to deal with him. If the sea ban was lifted and Zheng He's old system was followed, with the internal court in charge of the navy and trade, wouldn't the world fall into the hands of evil eunuchs?
Therefore, Liu Daxia, Ma Wensheng, and the others gathered a group of old officials to oppose with all their might. Both sides argued fiercely in terms of eliminating the Wokou pirates, profiting from trade, the structure of the navy, the burden on the national treasury, and the influence of agriculture. Both sides belittled each other. Unexpectedly, the side that requested to lift the sea ban seemed to be prepared. Every time they raised a question, they could take out detailed data and detailed plans to refute it.
Emperor Zhengde sat on the dragon throne and looked at the officials who were like fighting cocks. He was incomparably happy in his heart. It had always been him, Zhengde, who was the target of scolding and lecturing by the officials. It was rare for him to be the judge this time. He really wished for a few more court discussions like this. That would be more interesting.
The old official Yang Shousui saw the other side's ferocious attack. Hangul and a group of old officials who had high prestige in the court were all not in the capital. Only then did he know that Emperor Zhengde had long prepared for this. Amidst his laughter and absurdity, he had quietly sent the main force of the opposition to the sea ban out of the capital.
Now that Liu Daxia, Ma Wensheng and the others were left behind, it was only for show. He was afraid that if this debate continued, they would become the sacrificial victims of the court discussion. If these two were removed from their positions, when Hangul and the others returned, they would still be alone and powerless to fight.
Yang Shousui suddenly had an idea. He took a step forward and said to Emperor Zhengde: "Your Majesty, Ming Destiny's Celestial Empire is the center of the four seas. The small vassal states trading with Ming Destiny is my, Ming Destiny's, kindness to the world. As for the Wokou running amok, just now Liu Yu, Liu Daren and the others proposed the establishment of a navy, the use of both suppression and appeasement, and using benefits as a guide, I also feel that it is feasible. However, if Ming Destiny trades with the vassal states equally, it will go against Ming Destiny's ancestral 'tribute' system. Isn't this putting the vassal states and barbarians on the same level as Ming Destiny?
The King of Japan is arrogant and has not considered himself a vassal of Ming Destiny for many years. How can Ming Destiny lower his status? You must know that once the ban is lifted, it will be difficult to control the trade between Japan and each other. Moreover, the Wokou are cunning and can impersonate merchants from other countries. Therefore, I believe that if Japan does not pay tribute, Ming Destiny will not lift the ban on trade! "
Yang Shousui had a good idea. This ancestral system was Zhengde's, no matter how absurd it was, it would not be good to openly violate it. Would he, as the Emperor, dare to lower his status and put himself on the same level as the small Wokou states? With this banner, the officials would not dare to criticize the Former Emperor's legacy.
The Wokou of Japan were arrogant and self-centered. They had not bowed down to Ming Destiny for a long time. If this was not resolved, the court discussion could end here. Even if there were more changes, by that time, Hangul and the others would have heard the news and rushed back to the capital. Could they not think of a countermeasure to stop this farce?
Ma Wensheng and the others heard this and felt their hearts light up. Just now, they were only concerned about Liu Yu and Zhang Cai. With this weapon, what other excuses could they have? Liu Daxia immediately said to Zhengde in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, what Mr Yang said is reasonable. Lifting the ban on trade has its advantages, but the disadvantages are difficult to eliminate. Most importantly, this matter concerns the dignity of Ming Destiny. How can the Emperor disregard the greater good for the sake of small benefits? "
Ma Wensheng, Yang Fang and the others agreed. The officials who supported lifting the ban could not help but lose their momentum and became discouraged. Zhengde was holding his chin and watching with interest. When he heard this, he lazily sat up straight and said with a smile, "Oh? According to the words of my beloved officials, the biggest obstacle to opening the sea trade is that it will lower the dignity of Ming Destiny. If the Wokou country does not consider itself a vassal, then we cannot open the sea trade. Otherwise, we can discuss it? "
Liu Daxia nodded heavily and said with his eyes wide open, "Yes!"
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