Chapter 22: Eyes and Ears of the Immortals

The spring breeze brushed past.

Ripples danced across the surface of Taiye Lake, and the weeping willows along the shore swayed in the wind. The gentle breeze, brushing against the face, felt refreshing and invigorating.

Jiajing looked out at the shimmering, colorful expanse of the lake and the graceful willows. "Lift the sea ban? I have imagined many things you might say to me, but I truly never imagined you would say this."

Zhu Zaiji stepped forward and reached out to support him.

Jiajing was slightly stunned, clearly unaccustomed to such an intimate and filial gesture from his son. However, he soon composed himself and allowed his son to lead him out of the palace gate and beneath the weeping willows by the Taiye Lake. Huang Jin followed closely behind, his heart filled with joy at the sight of such familial intimacy within the Imperial household.

Only then did Zhu Zaiji revisit the topic of the sea ban: "Father, our dynasty implemented the sea ban at its founding because it was necessary at the time. Yet, the wealth of the seas is known to you, Father, and to our subjects as well—it is staggering and inexhaustible. Otherwise, how could Emperor Chengzu have ordered the eunuch Zheng He to set sail so many times?"

"It is merely that our dynasty is accustomed to justifying all matters through the ancestral laws. Thus, the sea ban has persisted to this day, even though the court and the public are well aware of the immense profits to be found overseas, yet they choose to ignore them."

"But just because our family and the court remain unmoved does not mean the gentry and powerful clans in the coastal provinces will do the same. Once they amass wealth and grain, they build ships to sail the seas, trade with foreign lands, and seize these profits for themselves. With more money, they can afford to educate more of their kin to sit for the imperial examinations and become officials, using their positions to cover up their illicit activities."

"This is why I believe that when Censor-in-Chief Zhu Wan submitted his memorial claiming that local governments were colluding with powerful clans to circumvent the sea ban, it was precisely for these reasons."

"In my view, the sea ban has reached a point where it is prohibited in name but impossible to enforce in practice. The imperial court repeatedly issues warnings, yet the local regions continue to act as they please. Even when the court takes a hard line, sea bandits and Japanese pirates suddenly appear along the coast to plunder, burn, and kill."

"I can even assert that henceforth, our southeastern coast will be plagued by Japanese pirates, but in reality, most of these incidents are likely orchestrated by those who profit from the illicit maritime trade!"

Jiajing walked in front, pacing along the lakeshore. He gazed at the water and smiled faintly. "So you think that since the sea ban cannot be enforced, it would be better to lift it?"

Zhu Zaiji nodded. "That is indeed what I think."

Jiajing retorted, "It could also be said that our court... the entire bureaucracy is accustomed to debating issues through the lens of ancestral law. If I were to lift the sea ban, it would surely provoke opposition from the entire court. After all, as you said, there may be many officials in the court who are secretly linked to those engaged in coastal smuggling."

Having said this, Jiajing heaved a long sigh. "It is difficult. Even for me, it is difficult."

There was a hint of grievance in his tone. Zhu Zaiji, however, remained calm and composed. He continued, "To speak of lifting the sea ban in haste is, of course, impossible. If one were to rashly initiate a discussion on this matter, it would inevitably, as you said, Father, invite opposition from the ministers."

Jiajing paused and looked back at his son, a smile on his face. "Then why have you spoken to me of lifting the sea ban?"

Zhu Zaiji met his gaze with a smile. "When immortals act, they often let their eyes and ears do the work while they remain detached and composed, much like playing a game of chess. It is a pity for those pawns—they clearly know they are mere pieces, yet they harbor delusions and even take pride in it."

Jiajing raised an eyebrow. The words were plain, yet they hid a deeper mystery. He turned around and asked, "What do you mean by this?"

Zhu Zaiji replied with a smile, "I mean that as the Son of Heaven, you need not personally involve yourself in the matter of lifting the sea ban. You can find capable people to serve as pawns—either to float the idea of lifting the ban in the court to test the winds, or to emulate the coastal gentry and powerful clans by secretly building ships to trade overseas, thereby temporarily replenishing the imperial treasury."

Jiajing fell silent.

A moment later, he reached out and tapped his son on the head, laughing. "So when you mentioned our dynasty's nobility earlier, saying they were more trustworthy than the civil and military officials, this is what you were getting at?"

He was, after all, the Ming Emperor who had come all the way from Anlu to the north, who had single-handedly initiated the Great Rites Controversy, walked through fire, and possessed an unyielding spirit. Such insight was natural to him. He understood in an instant what the nobility, whose fate was tied to the nation, could be used for.

Zhu Zaiji bowed with a theatrical, exaggerated expression. "Father is wise!"

Jiajing burst into laughter at his son's antics. Amidst his laughter, he didn't forget to pat his son on the head again. Then, pointing a finger at Zhu Zaiji, he said, "You've grown up, and instead of learning anything good, you've learned how to flatter!"

Zhu Zaiji remained unfazed and continued, "If it were not for Father's wisdom, how could I, in my ignorance, have glimpsed even a shred of the truth? Now, everyone calls our nobility 'pigs and dogs,' but can they truly not be used? I believe that is not necessarily so. Even pigs and dogs can be put to use!"

Jiajing stopped laughing, though the smile remained on his face. "Then tell me, how do you intend to use them?"

Zhu Zaiji composed himself and answered in a low voice, "I believe you can have those you trust submit memorials mentioning the lifting of the sea ban, serving as a foundation. There is no need to rush—not for a moment, a year, or even several years. As long as the calls for lifting the sea ban persist in the court, the matter will have served its purpose."

Lifting the sea ban or enforcing it involves millions in profits; it is not a matter easily accomplished. Even with an advantage, it cannot be achieved overnight.

He continued, "As for our nobility, the reason they have been called 'pigs and dogs' these years is entirely because they no longer drill in martial arts, but instead only know how to petition for land and salt permits, while encroaching on civilian land in the provinces and embezzling military salaries. Some even go as far as to privately mine or smuggle salt and copper. Such actions are intolerable under the law, but from the perspective of human nature, they are perhaps inevitable."

"Therefore, I think that rather than this, it would be better to find a new source of profit for them. We could allow them to build ships, purchase goods locally, and send people to trade overseas. If the nobility is forced to act, they will crowd out those currently smuggling along the southeastern coast, and they are unlikely to bring lawsuits to the court. Furthermore, there is vast wealth overseas; it is not as if every ship I sell means you sell one less."

"In this way, the nobility will embezzle less from within the country. If this trade proves viable, we can negotiate—it is merely a matter of bargaining. In any case, it will allow them to relinquish some of the benefits they have seized within the country, and the nation will be better off."

Watching his son explain the matter of the sea ban with such clarity and order, Jiajing suddenly asked, "Even if I did not permit these nobles, have they not been sailing the seas all these years?"

Zhu Zaiji smiled. "Father, success depends on the right time, the right place, and the right people. The coastal gentry and powerful clans already possess the right place, and with the sea ban as the right time, coupled with the human desire for profit, the smuggling trade is naturally flourishing. Since our nobility can already profit within the country, why would they go through the hardship of going to sea?"

This was, in fact, Zhu Zaiji's true thought. The issues of the sea ban and maritime trade can never be viewed in absolute terms. Most people go to sea for profit, but it cannot be denied that some coastal folk are truly unable to survive and thus seek to venture onto the sea. However, none of this should be done behind the court's back, in secret!

Jiajing narrowed his eyes and mused, "Let the nobility build ships and go to sea to trade?"

Zhu Zaiji nodded. "The imperial treasury could also provide some silver as a 'dry share.' If they are willing, they can all go to sea together. If not, each house can do its own business, or several houses can work together on a single venture. The imperial treasury only needs to provide some silver and take a smaller share of the profits for each house or venture."

"Yet, they would be acting under the name of the Imperial family. The treasury could also gain an extra source of revenue. When the time comes, whether you wish to reorganize the Beijing garrisons or attend to other matters, you could bypass the Ministry of Revenue and the state coffers, and do as you please."

"When the time is right, and the matter of lifting the sea ban is debated in court again, it will naturally go more smoothly with less resistance."

At the end of it all, Zhu Zaiji looked at the old Daoist priest with a smile. "After all, the governance of a nation, when stripped to its core, is nothing more than money and grain."

Jiajing’s eyes lit up again. "What a statement—'the governance of a nation is nothing more than money and grain'!" This was a profound insight.

He continued, "The Crown Prince's plan is sound, but can the nobility be made to act accordingly?"

Zhu Zaiji's expression darkened, his eyes glinting with sharpness. "They are merely my family's close ministers. Following imperial edicts and serving the monarch is their fundamental duty. If they dare to disobey, you, Father, can have Commander Lu Bing select a few instances of their clandestine, sordid dealings to impeach them!"

A bunch of pig-like, dog-like nobles. It wasn't as if they were being asked to charge into battle. Did they really dare to bargain with the Imperial family?

Jiajing beamed with delight, yet he reached out and patted the back of his son’s head, followed by a kick to his backside. "Get out!"

"You're barely grown, and you already dare to wield the rod of authority?"

Zhu Zaiji, naturally, feigned pain, clutching his backside with a grimace. "I know my mistake, Father. I won't dare again."

As he spoke, he had already scurried several yards away.

Jiajing, with a smile in his eyes, shouted, "Get back there and prepare carefully! If I entrust this task to you and you dare to botch it, beware the court-ordered caning!"

"I obey the decree. I take my leave."

Zhu Zaiji’s voice drifted from afar, and he vanished from Jiajing's sight in a flash.

Watching his son's retreating figure, Jiajing couldn't help but shake his head with a bitter, helpless smile. Seeing this, Huang Jin chuckled from the side, "His Highness the Crown Prince is truly different from before; the Master can rest easy."

Jiajing nodded, not denying Huang Jin's assessment. The two of them, one after the other, headed back toward the Wanshou Palace.

Halfway there, Jiajing suddenly spoke. "The things that rascal said were quite reasonable. Summon Lu Bing to the palace."