Chapter 37: Just a Few Words

"Presumptuous!"

"Audacious!"

Almost identical roars of fury echoed once more within the Wuyi Hall.

Lü Ben, Wen Yuan, and Xu Jie were already flushed with anger. Zhu Zaiji, however, looked at Zhang Juzheng with a puzzled gaze.

His current demeanor, the words he had just spoken—why did they feel so familiar? He possessed the bearing of an old acquaintance... No. He had not yet met that person. Yet, this conduct—daring to point a finger in fury at the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet and the Ministers of the Six Ministries while holding only the lowly rank of a Shujishi (Hanlin Bachelor)—was this not precisely that man’s style?

After Zhang Juzheng had finished his petition to lift the maritime ban, Yan Song, who had remained silent throughout the proceedings, finally let out a long, hollow sigh.

When the Senior Grand Secretary of the current reign sighs, it naturally draws the attention of all present. Lü Ben and the others immediately braced themselves.

Yan Song merely lowered his gaze to look at Zhang Juzheng. He had never truly considered the issue of opening or maintaining the maritime ban. Whether the seas were closed or opened was, to him, merely a matter of method. But now, he was forced to take a stance.

Because Lü Ben, Wen Yuan, and Xu Jie had already clearly and unequivocally opposed the lifting of the ban, he had no choice but to support it. He even had to seize the banner of reform from Zhang Juzheng’s hands and rally the officials, both great and small, to submit memorials in support of the cause.

There was no other reason. Because what the enemy opposes is exactly what one must support. In the imperial court, where does one find so much logic? The Great Ming, with its two capitals and thirteen provinces, was, in the final analysis, decided by those standing within this very Wuyi Hall.

Having weighed the situation, Yan Song’s expression grew increasingly calm and composed. He first surveyed his colleagues before lifting his head to look at the Emperor with a smile.

"Your Majesty, the Shujishi Zhang Juzheng’s words were indeed wild. While there is a suspicion of him rebuking the Grand Secretaries and the Ministers of the Six Ministries, he is, after all, a young man acting out of concern for the nation; his tone was merely a bit passionate."

With a single sentence, Yan Song reinterpreted Zhang Juzheng’s accusation—that Lü Ben and the others were deceiving the Emperor—as the zeal of a young official devoted to the state.

Lü Ben and the others sank into a sullen silence, their eyes flashing with displeasure.

Ignoring their reactions, Yan Song continued: "Today, Your Majesty summoned us to discuss the death of Zhu Wan in the Southeast. The ministers have all stated that the people in those southeastern provinces are destitute, which is why they were driven to desperation and turned to piracy. If we follow this logic, then by lifting the maritime ban and allowing the people to seek a livelihood at sea, would we not, firstly, alleviate the suffering of the people, and secondly, pacify local grievances?"

"Furthermore, in the matter of trade, since ancient times, profit and risk have always coexisted. From the Eastern Wu dynasty’s expansion to the East, through the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties, our Central Plains merchant ships have long traversed the seas. Especially during the Southern Song, which, with only half the empire, sustained its national destiny for a century, largely relying on the benefits of maritime trade."

Since he had decided to oppose the stance of Lü Ben and his faction, he had to provide strong and unmistakable support for opening the seas.

Within the Wuyi Hall, the voice of the Senior Grand Secretary began to resonate in favor of lifting the maritime ban. Yan Song smiled, unhurried: "The Southern Song thrived on maritime wealth for a century, proving that the benefits of the seas are no mere trifles. Our dynasty strictly enforced the maritime ban at the beginning, dictated by the circumstances of the time. The world was in chaos, and the Central Plains were not yet pacified; how could we have had the strength to manage the maritime borders? It was solely due to the divine wisdom of the Founding Emperor that the ban was enacted to quell the crises of the time. However, the Chengzu Emperor dispatched Zheng He to the Western Oceans repeatedly. Although the common people may not have reaped the rewards, the profits gained from those voyages funded Chengzu’s five expeditions to the northern grasslands without costing a single grain or coin from the state treasury."

Though he was clearly and sharply opposing those who fought against the opening of the seas, Yan Song spoke without haste or agitation, maintaining a posture of utter composure. Even Zhu Zaiji could not help but admire him; the old man truly deserved his seat—there was not a hint of incompetence in him.

At this point, Yan Song reached his conclusion: "In this day and age, the situation is no longer that of the early years of the dynasty. It is clear that if the people go to sea, they can catch fish, and if merchants go to sea, they can trade with all nations. Why should we cling to the regulations of the past? Why should we fear the wind and waves of the sea?"

Finally, Yan Song’s tone deepened, revealing the majesty and decisiveness of an Imperial Grand Secretary.

"If there are pirates on the sea who dare to seize our merchant ships, then we shall build sturdy ships and powerful cannons, and as Zhang Juzheng said, sweep the four seas clean!"

"If any foreign nation dares to occupy our territory or act as pirates, our great army will descend upon them in an instant, with ten thousand cannons roaring in unison. Who would dare to offend us then?!"

As he grew excited, Yan Song actually stood up, trembling slightly.

"Your Majesty, our Great Ming is the orthodox center of the world. Wherever the sun and moon shine, it is all Han soil; the rulers of the four corners are all but our subjects."

"Our Great Ming calls itself the Celestial Empire; how can we lock the seas and hide within?"

"I, Shao Bao, Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent, holding the title of Minister of Rites and concurrently Senior Grand Secretary of the Jinshen Hall, Yan Song, hereby submit my petition to lift the maritime ban!"

The hall fell silent. Yet it felt as if a thunderclap had struck on dry land.

Yan Song, with the authority and status of the Senior Grand Secretary of the Great Ming, had strongly and unequivocally supported the opening of the seas. This was something no one had expected. Even Zhu Zaiji was caught off guard.

If this were a different time, a different political climate, this old Cabinet Minister would likely have been the one firmly opposing the opening of the seas. Truly, it was a matter of timing, fate, and destiny.

Following Yan Song’s declaration, Xia Bangmo, as always, stepped out: "I second the motion; I pray Your Majesty issues an edict to open the seas!"

After Xia Bangmo, the Minister of Works, Wen Ming, also stepped forward: "I second the motion. Although the blueprints for the Treasure Ships are hard to find, the Ministry of Works can supervise the construction of large ocean-going vessels. The coastal shipyards are still there, and civilian ships can also be built!"

Immediately thereafter, Tu Qiao, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, stepped out. This official, who held the power to impeach the hundred officials, was concise: "I second the motion; the seas may be opened."

Yu Maojian, the Minister of Justice, who had a history of animosity with Yan Song, saw that both Wen Ming and Tu Qiao had stepped forward to support the opening. After weighing the situation, he had no choice but to step out as well.

"I also second the motion. However, if the seas are opened, all matters will be new; the central government must monitor all parties to prevent corruption and guard against unscrupulous elements."

Thus, from the Cabinet to the Six Ministries, more than half now supported the opening of the seas. Zhang Zhi, however, had not expressed a stance on this matter. It was not that this old man, who hoped to be the mentor to the future sovereign, did not support it; rather, with Zhang Juzheng already leading the charge, there was no need for him, the undisputed leader of the Eastern Palace faction, to add fuel to the fire.

Today in the Wuyi Hall, the matters under discussion had shifted one after another, and the situation was constantly transforming.

Lü Ben felt his head throbbing and his back tingling. He never imagined that what was meant to be a simple move to bury the matter of Zhu Wan’s death would evolve into more than half of the high-ranking ministers supporting the opening of the seas.

Open the seas? If the seas were truly opened and the Shipping Commissioner’s Office began collecting taxes, what would become of the Southeast? If he were to compromise now, he would be reviled by ten thousand people by tomorrow. Perhaps even his ancestral graves would be secretly dug up!

In a flash, Lü Ben made a final stand. He said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, the defense of the Nine Frontiers is a matter of great importance, and military affairs are already as urgent as fire. If we rashly open the seas now, our navy has neither ships nor cannons. To meet the needs of the Nine Frontiers while simultaneously bearing the burden of building ships and cannons—the national treasury will surely be unable to sustain it. Furthermore, with countless merchant ships at sea, to the eyes of pirates, would they not all be mountains of gold and silver, to be seized at will?"

Wen Yuan also pleaded painfully: "Your Majesty, pirates are brutal and chase profit on the seas. With the recent arrival of the Franks and the Red-Haired Barbarians, who lurk along our coasts, if our merchant ships set sail, they will inevitably become meat for these thieves. I beg Your Majesty to take pity on the people, who are too weak to defend themselves, and abandon the proposal to open the seas."

Lü Ben and Wen Yuan had both spoken in opposition. Zhu Zaiji looked with curiosity at Xu Jie and Zhan Rong. Neither of them seemed inclined to oppose. However, the way Lü Ben and Wen Yuan had performed their roles was already laughable. As for Xu Jie, the great purist, he did not seem to be involved in maritime smuggling, but rather in land and cotton cloth businesses in Songjiang. Given his temperament, he likely would not be fighting this uphill battle today.

The Jiajing Emperor was also hesitant. Although there were more who supported opening the seas than those who opposed it, it did not mean the matter could be carried out immediately. Jiajing understood that whether it was Yan Song or Lü Ben, they were merely thinking of their own petty gains. But he had to think of much more.

Subconsciously, Jiajing turned his head to look at his son standing to the side. Zhu Zaiji happened to look up at that moment and understood instantly. He stepped forward with a composed smile.

"Father Emperor, the arguments from these pillars of the state—both for and against the opening of the seas—are all reasonable, and all are born of concern for the nation and its people."

Jiajing nodded. These were the words of a seasoned statesman. Let the officials fight; the Imperial House only needed to maintain the balance. It seemed this boy had truly begun to grasp what he had been taught recently. Jiajing’s eyes filled with encouragement, signaling for Zhu Zaiji to continue.

Zhu Zaiji turned to face the officials in the hall.

"You are all pillars of the state and old ministers trusted by my Father Emperor for many years. That you each hold your own views is only fair, and I, too, wish to thank you for your toil on behalf of the Great Ming."

At his words, even Lü Ben, Wen Yuan, and Xu Jie were forced to bow and return the gesture along with Yan Song and the others, expressing their gratitude and claiming they dared not accept such praise.

Zhu Zaiji merely smiled and changed the subject: "Since you cannot come to an agreement, and I, being young and daring, shall take the liberty to speak a few words."