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The ministers who opposed the road construction were simply worried that it would be a waste of money and labor, and would lead to chaos in the country.
The Qin Dynasty had just been established and there were many things to be done. The national strength could not withstand the loss of such a large project.
However, Admiral Gu Rong took on the responsibility and promised to build the road without spending a penny from the national treasury and without levying any labor, so the ministers' reasons for objection were no longer valid.
A few days ago, the navy suddenly opened up a province of Luzon and brought back nearly two million taels of revenue, which proved that the Royal Navy does have this ability.
As for some people saying that enslaving foreigners is not the way of a saint and is unbecoming of a superior country.
Qin Mu smiled but said nothing, and did not argue, just pretending he didn't hear it.
The ministers he appointed were basically pragmatic, otherwise they would not have been able to stay in high positions for long.
Sima An and other ministers also had sufficient understanding of the strategic significance of this road, and they were well aware of the huge impact it would play once it was built.
Now that there are people willing to contribute money and manpower, why not do it
It is worth mentioning that since the last Xiyuan Imperial Lecture, the think tank system that Qin Mu has been secretly promoting has blossomed into two small flowers.
As soon as the news about building a road from Changsha to Kunming came out in the court, Xie Jinglun immediately announced the establishment of a Jinghua Academy.
Just below Yuhuatai, in a unique courtyard, a brand new sign of "Jinghua Academy" was hung up, firecrackers were set off, and a group of people including Wang Fuzhi came to celebrate.
Xie Jinglun and 21 like-minded scholars publicly announced that they would go to Changsha, Guiyang, and Kunming to conduct in-depth research on the impact of building official roads on the politics, military, economy, and people's livelihood of the Qin Dynasty.
Even the cost, route, and feasibility of road construction were evaluated, and a comprehensive study was conducted on Daqin's strategic deployment in Indochina, sorting out the gains and losses, as well as the challenges that might be encountered.
The group headed by Fang Yizhi had a larger number of 36 people. Not to be outdone, they also announced the establishment of a Jiangnan Academy the next day.
Their first research topic was to study Luzon's governance plan, immigration policy, economic utilization, military status, and even the strategy of the entire Southeast Asia.
Most of the people organized by Fang Yizhi came from wealthy families in Jiangnan;
In the past, they were the ones who criticized the government most fervently on the Qinhuai River. They had money, time, and the desire to participate in politics. Moreover, after reflecting on the fall of the Ming Dynasty, they became much more pragmatic in their thinking.
Taking advantage of Qin Mu's secret promotion of think tank construction, they established this academy and gave up their previous empty talk on the Qinhuai River. They sincerely hoped that their research data would win the emperor's favor in the future imperial lectures and become famous all over the world.
Their families also strongly supported them and even organized five merchant ships and a large amount of cargo for them to take to Luzon and even the South Pacific islands.
Because the study of Luzon's strategic position inevitably involves the current situation of the islands in the South Pacific, only by combining the current situation of the entire South Pacific can the research results be more practical. The proceeds from the five types of merchant ships will be used to support their research.
Hearing this news, Qin Mu was very pleased and ordered the Royal Navy to provide them with some protection in secret.
At the same time, Qin Mu found Wang Fuzhi, hoping that Wang Fuzhi would encourage Zhu Shunshui to set up a society specializing in the study of Japan.
Due to the war in the late Ming Dynasty and Japan's isolation, Daqin's understanding of Japan's current situation mostly came from the stories of Zheng Zhilong and others.
But these people were pirates after all, and what they knew was mostly about economy and people's livelihood, and their understanding of Japan's internal politics, culture and other aspects was not so comprehensive.
What's more, these people haven't been to Japan for many years, and the situation in Japan is constantly changing.
It is unknown what impact the establishment of Daqin will have on Japan's domestic policies.
Qin Mu sincerely hopes that there will be a think tank that can conduct a comprehensive study of Japan and provide some reference for him to formulate policies toward Japan.
Another thing is the research on Mongolia and the Western Regions, which Qin Mu also hopes someone will do.
As for how well it is done, let’s not talk about it for now. At least it can make these intellectuals, or even the elite of this era, learn to be pragmatic.
This is better than letting them do nothing all day, bragging to the girls in brothels on the Huai River, and living a life of drunkenness and dreams.
While the Ministry of Works was busy sending people to the southwest to survey the road from Changsha to Kunming, select routes, assess engineering difficulties, and formulate engineering budgets.
In the newly established Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Left Vice Minister Huang Zhenlin was also busy negotiating with the British.
Judging from the results of the initial negotiations, the British were positive about cooperating with Daqin, but the two sides found it difficult to reach a consensus on the division of maritime interests.
One of the reasons why it was difficult to reach a consensus was that the British still had doubts about the capabilities of the Qin Navy, so they wanted to gain more benefits in many areas.
This reminded Qin Mu of the large-scale "hunt" that he had been conceiving of long ago and that the Ministry of War had also been preparing for, which was an ancient version of a military parade.
If Daqin wants to become the leader of all countries and gain recognition from others, it is necessary for it to fully demonstrate its strength.
This move can also strengthen the army's sense of honor and cohesion, improve the army's image in the minds of the people, make the people proud to join the army, and lay a solid foundation for the implementation of the conscription system.
Qin Mu called the cabinet and the seven ministers to discuss the matter and after reaching a consensus, he immediately asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send envoys to neighboring countries, and at the same time asked the Ministry of War to formally put the military parade on the agenda.
The country was just established and there was a lot of work to be done. Qin Mu worked around the clock, and he was really busy with all kinds of affairs and had to work day and night.
This is when the cabinet and the six ministries were operating efficiently. He really couldn't imagine how exhausted an emperor like Zhu Yuanzhang, who had to take care of everything, would be. How much time would he have to spare from the tedious government affairs and consider the country's long-term strategy
In the entire palace, the most carefree person is Yun Qiaoer. She has grown into a graceful young girl, but because of Qin Mu's pampering, she still often goes out of the palace to play.
That day, Qin Mu returned to the harem from the Huagai Palace and saw her returning from outside the palace with several palace maids and young eunuchs. The young eunuchs were holding a lot of small items in their hands, which were probably just bought from the market.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, wait a minute." As soon as she saw Qin Mu, she immediately picked up her skirt and trotted over.
She wore a light yellow silk blouse embroidered with a willow pattern, a lake blue long skirt with golden willow catkins, and a red gold lilac hairpin in her heart-shaped bun. She looked graceful and elegant, light and airy.
"Your Majesty." Yun Qiao'er bowed in a very formal manner, looking graceful and elegant, with all her beauty of a young girl revealed.
"Girl, what did you buy again?" Qin Mu asked casually.
Yun Qiaoer smiled prettily, hugged his arm and said, "I won't tell you!"
She exuded a light floral scent, which was very pleasant. Under her thin spring clothes, her two jade-like breasts were slightly raised, with a beautiful shape, and they felt soft in Qin Mu's hands.
"I don't even want to know."
"This..." Yun Qiaoer blinked her bright big eyes with a conflicted expression, as if she was considering whether to tell Qin Mu what she bought. Her innocent look was very lovable.
Qin Mu scratched her nose with his hand and said with a smile: "Okay, don't worry about it. I allow you to keep a little secret. Come on, accompany me for dinner."
"Okay, Your Majesty, I want to eat fried bamboo shoots."
This request was not high. Qin Mu laughed and said, "Girl, how about I treat you to some fried pork with bamboo shoots?"
Yun Qiaoer subconsciously covered her buttocks. In the past, Qin Mu would often spank her buttocks, which probably had a certain massage effect. Now her buttocks were very firm and firm, and with her long legs, she was full of moving beauty.
Qin Mu laughed loudly. Yun Qiao'er hugged his arm and walked a few steps. Suddenly, she leaned close to his ear with a red face and said, "Your Majesty, tonight..."
"Hmm? What are you doing tonight?"
"No more, humph!"
"Hey, how would I know if you don't tell me? What are you angry about?"
"You know it very well, but you just like to play dumb."
"Hahaha... ... ... "
"Your Majesty, I'm already fifteen, I've reached the age of marriage... Last time I went home, my father asked me with a stern face... Oh, I'm so embarrassed, I won't tell you anymore."
"You naughty girl, at least you know how to be shy." Qin Mu laughed happily. The girl was indeed growing up, but he always felt it was a little too early.
Yun Qiaoer blushed and said, "Your Majesty, it's hard for people to see you now. You are so busy during the day and you are still busy at night..."
"You're looking for a fight. When was I busy at night?"
"Hehe, His Majesty is also busy dealing with memorials tonight."
"That's more like it."
"Your Majesty, have you forgotten? I am your personal and confidential secretary, but now, ah!"
"Okay, stop sighing and pretending. Tonight..." Qin Mu finally leaned over to her ear and said something.
Yun Qiao'er answered without thinking, "Stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat is just stir-fried bamboo shoots..." She stopped talking halfway, and looked around with her almond-shaped eyes, afraid that someone would hear her.
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ps: Thank you to all the book friends who voted for the monthly ticket. Thank you. Please vote more and keep a distance, so that I can write with peace of mind. By the way, I can't grab others' at the end of the month, so I want to be the early bird. I hope you can understand this feeling. Please vote for me!
.(To be continued..)
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