Joy of Life: Starting by clinging to the eldest princess's coattails!

Chapter 116 The Navy, Southeast Fleet!

Chapter 116 The Navy, Southeast Fleet!

Qin Ye sat in the first position among the military officers, his face expressionless, except that his hands hanging at his sides were slightly clenched.

He went to Chizhou on the emperor's orders.

However, His Majesty's oral decree cannot be spoken in the court.

He could only swallow this bitter pill.

Emperor Qing sat on the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over Qin Ye, just about to offer a few words of comfort.

Just then, Zheng Ting, the Minister of War, stepped forward.

He bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present."

Emperor Qing looked at him and said calmly, "Speak."

Zheng Ting straightened up.

"Your Majesty, since last month, the Ministry of War has been receiving reports from the southeast coast. Pirates are frequently raiding fishing boats, and merchant ships have not been spared either, especially the merchant ships from the three major districts, which have suffered heavy losses every time."

"The Jiangnan Navy is now not allowed to move without orders and can only patrol around its garrison, unable to cover the entire coastline."

Your Majesty, I believe that the Jiangnan navy should be granted a certain degree of autonomy, allowing them to patrol the coast regularly to ensure the safety of our Qing Kingdom's fishing, hunting, and trading activities.

As soon as he finished speaking, Emperor Qing's eyes turned slightly cold.

The Jiangnan Navy.

It's the Jiangnan navy again.

This army has been inextricably linked to Ye Qingmei since its inception, and he has yet to fully subdue it.

If they were truly given autonomy and allowed to move freely along the coast, he'd probably have sleepless nights.

He was about to speak—

"Your Majesty, I second that proposal."

Liu Hanjiang, the Minister of Revenue, stepped forward.

He bowed respectfully, his voice steady: "Currently, commercial taxes make up the majority of the tax revenue of our Qing Kingdom. If merchant ships are frequently robbed at sea, it will not only affect the national treasury's income but also undermine the confidence of merchants. This matter concerns the very foundation of the nation and cannot be ignored."

Two ministers submitted their memorials in succession, and murmurs began to ripple through the court.

Some officials whispered to each other and exchanged glances.

Emperor Qing still did not respond immediately.

His gaze turned to Qin Ye.

"Qin Ye, you just returned from Jiangnan and inspected the Jiangnan navy. Do you have any opinions on this matter?"

The court fell silent for a moment, and all eyes were on Qin Ye.

Qin Ye straightened up and bowed to Emperor Qing.

"Your Majesty, during my inspection tour of Jiangnan this time, I only visited the Luzhou and Chizhou camps, and I am not very familiar with the situation of the coastal camps of the Jiangnan navy."

"But the sea is vast, and even if the entire Jiangnan navy were to be mobilized, it would probably be impossible to cover the entire coastal waters. Whether or not autonomy is granted, it seems that this problem cannot be fundamentally solved."

Emperor Qing nodded.

"Yes, General Qin is right. Besides, the Jiangnan navy still has unresolved issues, so let's set this matter aside for now."

He glanced around the court.

"But maritime trade is a matter of national importance. Tell me, what methods are there to resolve this?"

Low murmurs rose again in the court.

Guo Huai, Liu Hanjiang, and Zheng Ting glanced at Su Shenzhi discreetly.

Su Shenzhi kept his eyes down and did not move.

Just as Liu Hanjiang was about to step forward—

Lin Ruofu stepped out from the Hanlin Academy's queue.

He bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."

Emperor Qing looked at the older top scholar, who had been pushed up by various forces, and his gaze lingered on his face for a moment.

"speak."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Lin Ruofu bowed again, then straightened up.

"Your Majesty, Qing Yu Tang is currently the main force behind the maritime trade of our Qing Kingdom. Since granting the Jiangnan Navy autonomy cannot guarantee the safety of maritime merchants, it would be better to let Qing Yu Tang handle it itself."

"How do you plan to solve this yourself?" Su Shenzhi asked at the opportune moment.

Lin Ruofu turned to Su Shenzhi and bowed again.

"Prime Minister Su, Qingyutang's maritime trade extends far beyond the southeast coast; it reaches much farther. Even the Jiangnan navy cannot guarantee the safety of maritime trade routes over such long distances."

"I believe that rather than putting the court in a difficult position, it would be better to grant Qingyutang the authority to form its own maritime escort force, allowing them to protect the safety of their own trade."

After Lin Ruofu finished speaking, the court was in an uproar.

The censors exchanged glances, their faces showing surprise.

Some of the veteran officials frowned.

However, Su Shenzhi, Guo Huai, and Liu Hanjiang showed no expression on their faces, but they were all somewhat surprised.

They had already received instructions from the eldest princess to prepare a memorial to the court requesting that Qingyutang establish a maritime escort team.

Unexpectedly, Lin Ruofu spoke first.

Did the eldest princess also tell Lin Ruofu?

But they quickly suppressed their doubts.

Regardless of who proposed it, as long as it works out, their mission is complete.

In the center of the imperial court, Lin Ruofu stood with a respectful expression.

He had not received any news from Her Highness the Princess, and this memorial was something he came up with on the spur of the moment.

He was able to become the top scholar this year thanks to the grace of the Princess, and he has been thinking about how to repay this kindness.

Today's opportunity is perfect.

An imperial censor stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I believe this is unacceptable!"

His voice was loud and clear, revealing his straightforwardness.

"Letting Qingyutang form its own naval guard is like giving Qingyutang the power to form an army."

This is unprecedented in my Qing Kingdom, and even in other countries!

Lin Ruofu turned to him, his tone calm.

"Lord Feng, you are mistaken. It is precisely because there is no such precedent that our Qing Kingdom dares to take the lead."

"Furthermore, this maritime guard doesn't need to be large. After all, some large pirate groups only have a hundred or so people, so a guard of a few thousand is enough to ensure the safety of trade routes."

Imperial Censor Feng wanted to say something more.

The Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate glanced at him.

With just a glance, Imperial Censor Feng swallowed his words and retreated back to the ranks of imperial censors.

The Left Censor-in-Chief lowered his eyes, thinking to himself that the Censorate should not get involved in such matters.

Emperor Qing sat on the dragon throne, his expression indifferent.

His gaze swept across the imperial court.

"Does anyone else have a different opinion?"

At this moment, Chen Pingping straightened up.

He sat in a wheelchair and bowed to Emperor Qing.

"Your Majesty, when the goddess appeared in the world last time, she said that the three major workshops and Qingyutang all belong to Her Highness the Eldest Princess. This matter concerns Qingyutang, so we might as well ask Her Highness the Eldest Princess for her opinion first."

Upon hearing the words "Goddess," a fleeting, unnatural expression crossed Emperor Qing's face.

He maintained his composure and nodded.

"In that case, let's see what the eldest princess thinks before making a decision."

He stood up.

"Dismiss the court."

Eunuch Hou hurriedly stepped forward, his shrill voice echoing throughout the hall.

"Retreat from court!"

All civil and military officials bowed in respect.

Emperor Qing strode out of the Taiji Hall, his figure disappearing behind the side door.

The court officials gradually dispersed.

Chen Pingping slowly drove away in her wheelchair.

Su Shenzhi, Guo Huai, and Liu Hanjiang walked together at a slow pace.

"Lin Ruofu—" Guo Huai said in a low voice.

Liu Hanjiang shook his head.

"Regardless of who proposed it, as long as it works out, it will be easier to explain to His Highness."

Su Shenzhi didn't say anything, he just continued walking forward.

Chizhou, Linjiang Villa.

The news arrived the following afternoon.

Li Yunrui leaned against the soft couch in the pavilion, holding the thin piece of paper in her hand.

-

After reading it, the corners of her lips slowly curved into a beautiful smile.

"Interesting." Her voice was gentle, and a smile appeared at the corner of her eyes.

Wu Feng sat in the chair next to her, his gaze fixed on her face.

"Your Highness, what's wrong?"

Li Yunrui handed him the note.

Wu Feng took it and quickly scanned the writing on it.

Lin Ruofu?

He was somewhat surprised.

"This Lord Lin—he certainly knows how to seize an opportunity."

Li Yunrui chuckled softly.

"He's a smart man; I wasn't wrong about him." Her voice was soft. "He knows when to stand up for himself."

She placed the note on the coffee table.

"Since the court has offered a ladder, I will climb up it."

She turned her head to look at Chunmei.

"Send a message back to the capital, saying that I agree to this proposal. Qingyutang does indeed need a guard to protect its trade routes."

Chunmei bowed: "Yes, Your Highness."

She turned and left the pavilion.

Wu Feng leaned back in his chair and gazed at the river outside the pavilion.

The escort fleet situation is finally showing some progress.

Li Yunrui lay back down on the soft couch, the moon-white fabric accentuating her voluptuous figure.

"Little Wuzi."

"Um?

'

"Tell me—what kind of expression will His Majesty have when he receives my reply?"

Wu Feng thought for a moment.

"It probably won't look too good."

Li Yunrui chuckled softly.

The laughter was beautiful and carried away by the river breeze.