Honghui is reborn in Legend of Zhen Huan, I will protect my mother

In the spring of the fourth year of Yongzheng's reign, various parts of the southwest tried to implement the policy of converting native chieftains into officials. Prince Xian Yinzhen once again led his troops to attack Yunnan, Guizhou and other places. Ortai and Nian Gengyao were his deputies. They sent troops to the Miao village and targeted the chieftains.

In the same month of the same year, Emperor Yongzheng established the ritual of personally tilling the fields and ordered the provincial governors and officials of the prefectures, states, counties, and guards under their jurisdiction to personally go to the fields to till the land and set an example for the world.

From then on, all parts of the Qing Dynasty placed more emphasis on agriculture, and commerce temporarily fell behind.

But this situation of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce did not last long. Around May, at the request of court officials and the initiative of Prince Zhao Honghui, the maritime ban that had lasted for several years was finally abolished. Well, although it was only the maritime ban in one place in Southeast Asia that was abolished.

The imperial court opened a trading port in Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangsu and Zhejiang for the purpose of foreign trade. Of course, Honghui had anticipated this and requested that tariffs and commercial taxes be raised a lot.

The commercial tax is not so bad, it has only increased by half, but the tariff has almost increased by three times!

Before the merchants in the world could be happy for long, they received the decree to increase commercial taxes and tariffs. They all complained immediately and cursed countless times in secret.

As for the instigator, Prince Zhao Honghui, he just sneered a few times, made indirect accusations in the Yangxin Palace, and then did not take the matter to heart anymore.

Ha! Although merchants have a low status, they earn a lot. They make a lot of money and are very fat. Especially the big sea merchants who go to sea privately in disregard of the imperial court's ban. How can we let them get away comfortably?

In order to prevent others from going out to sea to evade customs duties, Honghui even did the follow-up work, "Father, there are constant maritime disasters in the South China Sea. Japanese pirates and Westerners have repeatedly invaded our Qing Dynasty. I propose to establish a navy in the South China Sea. On the one hand, it is to prevent disasters before they happen, so as to avoid other countries attacking our Qing Dynasty by sea.

Second, the overall situation in the northwest has been settled, and it is not good for the soldiers to rest for too long; third, it is to eliminate several major families that have committed smuggling, selling out the country, and other evil deeds in Southeast Asia, and to deter those who have evil intentions. "

Yinzhen was a little hesitant: "The navy is a matter of great importance. Not to mention the countless silver and money spent, how can the bannermen adapt to life at sea after staying on land for so long?"

"These are all minor matters. Compared to our backwardness to the West, it is not too much to spend more money! Besides, maritime trade is really profitable. A fleet can make a lot of money with just one trip."

"Is it really that easy to make money from millions of taels of military expenditure?" Yinzhen was skeptical.

Honghui presented an account book, which looked very thin, but Yinzhen's expression suddenly changed.

"In the past, the sea was banned. Apart from the wealthy merchants who went out to sea privately, some aristocratic families, the Imperial Household Department's bondsers, and the royal families in the capital also got involved in the sea trade. This is the little information that I have found out after much effort. It is not much, but it is true!"

As I said, if there is anything going on in this world, just hide it from the royal family!

"If you still don't believe it, why not call a few uncles to help, and let Uncle Nine organize a fleet to go out to sea for trade, and by the way, take a look at what the situation in the West is like now! The missionaries don't tell the truth. The Navigation Act, the East India Company, it's time for the Qing Dynasty to go out and take a look."

If we don’t go out now, when will we be able to go out? Staying in our own ways is the source of the tragedy that happened in later generations!

Yinzhen was a little frightened and nervous at the same time. He was not completely unaware of the rapid development of the West. It was for this reason that the emperor father had implemented a maritime ban in an attempt to isolate the Qing Dynasty from the outside world in order to preserve its status as the "Celestial Empire". Now that it was his turn to be in power, he didn't know which path was the right one.

But now that the sea has been opened, the Qing Dynasty will have to come into contact with other countries sooner or later. It might as well grit its teeth and see with its own eyes whether the West can become a threat to the Qing Dynasty!

"Well, we have to go out and take a look... Su Peisheng, summon the kings to the audience."

Afterwards, all the kings, from the Prince of Zhi to the Eighteenth Beile, came to the Qinzheng Hall in the Old Summer Palace and waited.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you." What is the fourth brother planning? The last time he mobilized so many troops, it seemed to be to lift the maritime ban, right?

Yinzhen waved his hand slightly, signaling his eldest son Honghui to come forward and explain the details to the princes. Then he asked, "I called you here today just to ask if any of you know the inside story of maritime trade?"

The kings looked at each other, one or two had flickering eyes, but none of them told the truth, and they all said they knew nothing.

Prince Fu Yunlu had a different opinion: "My dear brother, it is said that the profits from maritime trade are very lucrative, some can be several dozen times, and some can be seven or eight times. However, I have only heard about it briefly and have not been deeply involved, so I don't know if it is true."

Back then, he had thought about secretly organizing a fleet to go out to sea for business, but after he became friends with Honghui, money, jobs, and titles came to him one after another. How could he dare to interfere in the lucrative maritime trade?

Money is easy to make, but titles are hard to come by. He was afraid that if someone found out, he would lose his title!

Sitting on the dragon throne and watching all the little movements below, Yinzhen pursed his lips and pretended not to see anything. "I intend to send a fleet out to sea, Yunluo will be in charge, and you can also join in. If you don't want to, you can leave now."

None of the nobles were stupid, and they all stayed. Then Yinzhen got to the point, "This trip is not to make money, but to find out the general situation of other countries around. I intend to send a member of the royal family to accompany us. Who is suitable?"

Prince Yi Yunxiang did not think twice and took the lead in asking, "Let me go..."

"You can't do that. The Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Farmland, the Ministry of Justice and other affairs all depend on you. Why are you going there? Yunxiang, there are many dangers at sea. If you are not careful, you will lose your life at sea. Not only you are not allowed to go on this voyage, but the other princes are also not allowed to accompany us. I can't let my father down!"

There was no need for Yinzhen to say much. Except for Prince Yi Yunxiang, who believed in his royal brother and was determined to repay his gratitude, almost all the other princes did not want to risk going out to sea. However, almost meant almost, and some people made up their minds to go out for a walk.

"Brother Emperor, please let me accompany you on this voyage..."

Prince Zhi blurted out: "Old Eight, do you want to die?"

Yinzhen also looked at the old eighth brother who looked calm but was thinking something in his heart, and said, "Yunsi, I have said that none of you are allowed to go out to sea. I can't let the emperor worry in the underworld."

Yunsi looked back straight at him, and after a long moment, he gave a bitter smile and suddenly knelt on the ground. "I beg you to lead the ship out to sea. I also ask your Majesty to consider the past years when we were both raised by Empress Xiaoyiren and agree to my request!"