NFBE Chapter 332: Planning to Go Overseas and Evaluation
Chapter 332: Planning to Go Overseas and Evaluation
Chapter 332 Overseas Expedition Plan and Evaluation
After saying this, Yinreng looked up at Hongye and Hailancha. There must be a reason why he asked Hailancha to stay today. This was also the reason why Yinreng thought about it again and again and decided to talk to them after receiving the letter two months ago.
"Hongye, Hailancha, I have read the letter you wrote me before. The reason I did not reply to you was that I wanted to see what new actions you have taken in the past two months.
Practice has proven that you are indeed mentally prepared, but I still want to ask, are you confident in this?"
Yinreng's abrupt greeting made Hongchang a little confused, but thinking that he had never cared about political affairs and devoted himself to research, he was curious for a moment and then shifted his attention to the snacks brought by He Zhu.
Well, it’s worthy of being from the Emperor’s side. The snacks are even fresher and more delicious than the ones he gets in the imperial kitchen.
Hongye and Hailancha exchanged a glance, and it was Hongye who spoke. "Father, a group of our advance troops have returned. According to the map drawn by Mother, many places are completely overlapping. Combined with the letters and maps we found from the missionaries, we now have a fairly clear understanding of those places overseas.
The previous events in Guangdong and Guangxi have left a very deep impression on me. I always think that knowing both ourselves and the enemy will ensure victory in every battle. Since those Western missionaries can come to our Qing Dynasty to preach and learn advanced knowledge and technology, why can't the Qing Dynasty also send people to learn their good things?
What's more, according to what the missionaries said, our Eastern silk, tea, porcelain and other products are all good things that can be exchanged for large amounts of gold, silver and minerals.
Father, you also know that if my second brother wants to realize the future of his research, some materials are essential."
Yinreng nodded, agreeing with Hongye. A year ago, Hongchang had proposed building a railway, and with the newly developed steam engine. Didn't the Qing Dynasty want to build one? No, it was simply that the mineral resources discovered so far were too few to support the construction of multiple railways.
The line currently under construction only runs from Shengjing to the capital, and even the basic materials were brought back from Dongchuan Prefecture, formerly in Japan, by large ships. It's estimated to be fully completed by next summer. If the budget for Dongchuan Prefecture's mineral resources is met, it should be enough to build two-thirds of the country's railway lines.
However, this was far from enough. Yinreng and Hongye believed that if the Qing Dynasty wanted to develop rapidly, convenient transportation was essential. Railway construction could not be stopped. Similarly, the ocean fleet also needed to be updated in real time. In addition, the army's weapons needed to be replenished and some infrastructure needed to be built...
To obtain all these needed minerals, gold and silver through trade alone would be too slow.
Of course, these ideas were also based on the war profits he made from occupying Japan at that time. So when he heard Hongye's reminder, Yinreng subconsciously thought of the vast tracts of gold and mineral deposits in his mind, which could be brought back from the missionaries' countries.
After the excitement subsided, Yinreng talked about the practical issues again: "I am not surprised that Hongye has such an idea, but why did Hailancha get involved?"
This was what puzzled him. Logically speaking, Hailancha was an inland general, and was best at land combat. Moreover, after several training sessions, he had established a firm foothold in the army and had a bright future. How could he suddenly get involved in this long voyage?
This time, Hongye doesn't need to explain. He can take the lead in some things, but there is no need to take on everything.
"Replying to Your Majesty (following Jingyi's address), I have also heard the Crown Prince and Princess' analysis. The future focus of our Great Qing Dynasty is not expansion, but recuperation and self-development. I have learned a lot of skills, but I can only use them in the army now. The opportunities for me to achieve great things in the future may be even fewer.
Furthermore, I, your son, and the princess share a deep connection. The princess has always longed for a wider world rather than being confined to a small corner. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I decided to make a plan. Once the path forward becomes clear, if the princess wants to see the outside world, I will be able to accompany her.
If we were to say who knows Jingyi best in this world, it would be Hongye, so Yinreng's eyes subconsciously fell on Hongye.
Hongye nodded in agreement. "Although my sister seems to have become a different person since getting married, and has the demeanor of a good wife and mother, I know that deep down she is still the same unyielding Jingyi from her childhood. She might be able to hold on to this comfortable life for several years, but it's also possible that she'll give up in the next second."
I still remember that the person my sister admires most is Aunt Kejing. She has been working hard to learn and strengthen herself over the years in order to realize her self-worth.
Those diehards in the court will definitely not allow Jingyi to participate in politics, but it doesn't matter. Jingyi and I are still young and have plenty of time, right? So before the next time, it wouldn't be a bad idea to let Jingyi go out more and broaden her horizons! "
Since Hongye and Hailancha said so, Yinreng no longer objected. After all, it was still too early to talk about these things now. As for ocean voyages, if the technology and information were not complete and clear, Yinreng believed that they would not be so willful as to set off directly.
"Okay, then this matter will be handled by Hongye and Hailancha. Hongchang, if you have any new ideas or inventions, you can give them a try and see if you can help. Hongye, I will give you a few days off so that you can go back and spend some time with the Crown Princess. The task ahead will not be easy."
After letting the three go, Yinreng picked up the information written down by the people who stayed in the palace about the prince's recent handling of political affairs, including every detail, including the obstacles the prince encountered and the results of their treatment.
As for Hongye, who was already on his way back to the East Palace, he was secretly pondering what his father had just said. His father's tone was not usual. Could something have happened without his knowledge? Why wouldn't his next task be easier?
Before he could figure it out, he had already arrived at the East Palace. Wiping his face and softening his serious expression, Hongye stepped into the East Palace.
"Your servant pays respects to the Crown Prince." "May the Crown Prince be well."
Back to the front hall, Zhan Ningju, this is where Yinreng handles government affairs. It is not enough for him to just read the information reported, he also asked He Zhu to recruit several brothers who stayed in the capital.
Because of tonight's banquet, several princes had just arrived at the garden, so they were not slow to come here.
"Greetings to His Majesty, may His Majesty be blessed with good fortune."
"We are all brothers. Stand up, He Zhu, and take a seat."
After everyone was seated, Yinreng greeted them one by one according to their order: "My eldest brother's third daughter is already married. What do you think of this little niece this year? Hongyu is not a child anymore. I heard that Concubine Hui is trying to marry off her grandson."
Although the Qing Dynasty did not care about the younger brother getting married before the older sister, it was obviously easy to cause gossip when the eldest brother's family dealt with Hongyu's affairs before the fourth lady was settled.
It's a bit annoying that Concubine Hui is still as patriarchal as ever. No wonder Bullhe started frowning when he mentioned her.
Upon hearing this, Prince Zhi's face was a little embarrassed. It was obvious that his mother's behavior and thoughts were basically known to everyone in the royal family. It's not that he hadn't thought about changing it, but he had persuaded and talked to his mother, but his mother insisted on having her own way. Filial piety is more important than anything else, so what could he do?
Yinreng didn't really want to be a laughingstock. Seeing Yinzhi's frown, he quickly stated his purpose: "Brother, I mean that there's no rush with Hongyu for the time being. At least let's take care of my niece's affairs first. What do you think about Shuyu's (Prince Zhi's youngest daughter) marriage?"
It was obvious that Yinreng already had a good candidate. Prince Zhi was used to being straightforward, so upon hearing this, he immediately asked, "What kind of family does the emperor want to arrange for Shuyu?"
When everyone present heard Prince Zhi ask this, they were not surprised. Even Yinreng did not feel offended. The boss was just a little stupid. Just listen to the obvious meaning of what he said and don't think too much about it.
Just like now, he really wanted to know which boy Yinreng was introducing.
Yinreng said, "Speaking of which, this kid is quite familiar to my elder brother. He is the nephew of the Fourth Yue family. I remember that he trained under my elder brother for two years. He is now a thousand-man commander, right?"
Hearing Yinreng say this, Yinzhi suddenly remembered who he was. A teenage boy, without relying on family background or connections, he had worked his way up from the most common soldier to the current captain. Even though his official position was not high, only the fifth rank, he was still young and his future prospects were immeasurable.
Since his daughter didn't have to marry far away and the other party was someone he was satisfied with, Yinzhen had no intention of refusing. He agreed to Yinreng's introduction on the spot and asked for a marriage.
After dealing with the most foolish eldest brother, Yinreng then showed concern for each of them one by one: "Third brother... Fourth brother..."
After everyone had been taken care of and even received a gift, Yinreng revealed his true intentions. He asked casually about people's evaluation of Hongye as regent.
At this time, the atmosphere between the brothers was no longer as serious as it was at the beginning, but rather a bit like a family discussion. In addition, Yinreng always gave people a good impression, so they no longer had their initial guard against Yinreng's questions. Then, in response to Prince Zhi's straightforward comments, they began to speak freely. Even Yinzhen, who was always cautious, did not hold back and directly gave his thoughts.
Yinreng was in a relatively good mood. Although his brothers' evaluation of Hongye was a bit subjective, it did not prevent him from extracting the answers he wanted.
He always knew that the brothers trained by his father were not fools, so after his brothers basically agreed with Hongye's political style and ideas, Yinreng knew that it would not be long before he abdicated.