PFC Chapter 46 Heading to the Weihe Shipyard
Chapter 46 Heading to the Weihe Shipyard
Noon, rain.
In the teahouse next to the post station, a number of people were gathered together, talking animatedly.
"Have you heard? His Majesty is at the Qianxi Fifth Workshop making woodenware again, and hasn't attended court for several days in a row."
"That's right. Now Wei Zhongxian calls the shots in the court. Even that Grand Secretary Sun is nothing more than a yes-man of Wei Zhongxian."
"Yes! The recent Tianqi Daily reported that they're going to forcibly promote the new Ming Dynasty paper money—that's definitely Wei Zhongxian's doing!"
"Now the cabinet isn't saying anything, so his Baohe Store commercial street can only use the new Ming Dynasty banknotes, and even the most affordable Ice and Snow Honey City can only be purchased with the new Ming Dynasty banknotes."
"Although the new Ming Dynasty paper money is very exquisite, for us ordinary people, copper coins and silver are still more practical."
"Alas, indeed! The renowned Tianqi Daily of the Ming Dynasty, yet it failed to write an article for the upright officials and Confucian scholars who spoke out for us..."
"That's right, the names listed above aren't some Fan Shiqi from Liaodong, but Wei Si from Hebei—names I've never even heard of. His Majesty is truly confused..."
……
Several young men dressed as scholars chatted idly while seeking shelter from the rain.
The few people dressed as merchants standing nearby couldn't stand it and remained tense.
It wasn't until the words "Your Majesty is confused" that the middle-aged man with the thick beard couldn't help but stand up.
A hand pressed down on his shoulder.
Don't worry about it.
The middle-aged man turned around and saw a young man dressed as a young merchant's son, whose voice, though not loud, carried an air of authority. He lowered his voice: "But... how can anyone in the capital city speak so rudely of the current emperor..."
Before he could finish speaking, the young man interrupted him.
"Freedom of speech in the Ming Dynasty." The young man turned his head slightly; he was none other than the Tianqi Emperor Zhu Ming, now disguised as a young merchant. "Let a few scholars discuss current affairs."
"Yes, Young Master Hou," the middle-aged man had no choice but to give up.
"Don't be too formal out here!" Zhu Ming released his hand and stood up. "Brother Shen, the rain's lessening, let's continue!"
"Young master, just call me by my name, Shen Yan." The man's name was Shen Yan, and he was a burly man dressed as a guard.
His true identity was that of a flag officer in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who accompanied Zhu Ming on his incognito trip out of the palace to ensure his personal safety.
"Alright, I'll stop calling you Old Shen," Zhu Ming said somewhat helplessly. "Old Lu, Little Knife, lead the horse."
He didn't argue further, since there was no need to.
The other two guards, however, were not so reserved.
Old Lu, Lu Xinghe, a junior officer in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, is about the same age as Shen Yan, around forty years old.
Xiao Dao, a junior officer in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was slightly older than Zhu Ming and was handsome and talented.
These three were all Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) who were previously responsible for protecting Wanggongchang. If it were according to normal history, without anyone reminding them, they might have already been buried in the smoke and dust of the Tianqi Explosion.
Now, history has changed because of the arrival of Zhu Ming, so the Jinyiwei who used to guard Wanggongchang are all grateful to Zhu Ming.
The three of them were the elite of the elite, selected from this group of Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) with utmost loyalty, to escort Zhu Ming out of the palace.
As the rain stopped, people in the teahouse began to leave one after another.
In another corner of the teahouse, a young woman was mesmerized by Zhu Ming's profile until another young woman next to her reminded her.
"Cousin, cousin, they're all gone! Stop looking!"
"Oh!" The girl, who was being called "cousin," finally realized what was happening and said resentfully, "Why didn't you remind me sooner!"
"Cousin, you're admiring a handsome man, how could I possibly disturb you!" the girl said, sticking out her tongue, looking quite adorable.
"It's just that he looks a bit like the person in the portrait!" the girl called "cousin" explained. "A merchant caravan surnamed Hou? Are there any wealthy families with the surname Hou in the capital?"
"I've never heard of any Hou family. They're probably just some unknown merchant family," the girl frowned and thought for a moment, but couldn't find any useful information in her head.
"Never mind, let's get to the capital as soon as possible! Her Majesty the Empress is waiting!" the cousin said gracefully as she stood up.
On the other side, Zhu Ming and the three others rode their horses to the dock.
The stone steps were slippery after the rain, the river water was murky yellow, and the dock was shrouded in mist.
Zhu Ming and his three companions led their horses onto the boat, the boatman cast off the mooring lines, and the boat slowly moved away from the shore.
"Your Majesty... Heaven above, Young Master Hou, why didn't you allow me to teach those scholars a lesson just now?" Shen Yan still harbored resentment. "To speak ill of His Majesty like that in front of you is truly..."
"What is it?" Zhu Ming leaned against the gunwale, gazing at the murky canal water, his face expressionless.
"We really should make the arrest! They're all relying on your influence, young master. It wouldn't be right if we didn't take them back today," Shen Yan said, looking indignant.
Having served as a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard for so many years, the rule he learned was to arrest people at the slightest sign of trouble. How could he possibly listen to someone gossiping about his own emperor?
"Take him back?" Zhu Ming turned around and looked at him. "You're a guard of the Hou family. What's a guard supposed to do?"
Shen Yan was speechless.
"It's about protecting me, not silencing the world," Zhu Ming said calmly, pointing out his current predicament.
Shen Yan remained silent for a moment, then clasped his hands and bowed his head: "This humble... subordinate understands."
Zhu Ming stopped speaking and turned his gaze to the distant, hazy horizon.
It's been over a year since I transmigrated here, and the Apocalypse Explosion, the Apocalypse Earthquake...
As historical records came flooding back, he rose to the challenge.
He understood better than anyone else in his time that shipbuilding, troop training, currency production, and border towns must all be linked together.
It can't be rushed, nor can it be slowed down.
This time, the destination was the Weihe Shipyard.
That was the place where he had Yuan Keli oversee the construction of cargo ships and the training of the Xuanwu Guards.
The 8,000 Xuanwu Guards were formed only a few months ago, yet they were able to be deployed for disaster relief, thanks to the competence of the veteran general Yuan Keli.
The real reason for this visit, ostensibly to inspect the shipyard, was to see firsthand the quality of this new force and to witness the hardships of human life.
He had thought about shipbuilding for a long time.
The Ming Dynasty's navy was once the best in the world, but now it can't even wipe out the Japanese pirates along the coast.
Weihe Shipyard, Qingjiangpu Shipyard, Longjiang Shipyard, etc., build so many ships every year...
However, it was controlled and monopolized by those literati and gentry who thought they were in charge of the country and the world.
Therefore, Zhu Ming thought of ways to break the deadlock that the Ming Dynasty was doomed to perish.
Besides reorganizing the three major camps, forming the Six Divine Guards, and controlling public opinion inside and outside the court, ships were also needed.
It wasn't just grain transport ships, but also treasure ships capable of sailing to the Western Ocean again, and warships capable of defending against enemies at sea.
These thoughts raced through my mind, but I remained outwardly calm.
Zhu Ming closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, all was quiet.
A month ago, he sent the blueprints of Zheng He's treasure ships and steam warships, which appeared in his dream and were organized, to Yuan Keli.
Now, it's time to go over and secretly inspect the work, and provide some modern professional guidance.
After several days of sailing, the boat traveled north along the canal.
We passed through Dezhou and entered Linqing.
As dusk approached, the masts of the Weihe Shipyard came into view in the distance.
The dock was bustling with people, with soldiers patrolling and craftsmen carrying timber.
Yuan Keli had received a secret report and had already sent men to wait.
Zhu Ming changed into a dark blue flying fish outfit, put on an exquisite mask, and stepped onto the diving board.
Behind them, Shen Yan, Lu Xinghe, and Jin Yidao followed silently.
The Weihe Shipyard is right in front of us...