sjar Chapter 302 Consort Fucha
Chapter 302 Consort Fucha
The minister stepped forward and declared with righteous indignation.
"Your Majesty, the princesses are of noble birth."
They should have stayed in the palace, but now they are showing their faces in public and mingling with the common people, which is a disgrace to the royal family.
Moreover, these matters should have been handled by men; the princesses' actions were an overreach of their authority.
Furthermore, the princesses running textile factories is competing with the people for profit, which is really inappropriate.
This time, Prince Dun was the first to step forward; the princesses are all royal princesses.
Why should these sanctimonious ministers have the right to point fingers?
Prince Dun, filled with righteous indignation, said:
"Your Majesty, the princesses have set up textile factories, providing livelihoods for countless women."
Publishing the "Great Qing People's Daily" to inform the people about the court's policies was a good thing for the country and the people!
How can it be said that this is undignified or that it is competing with the people for profit?
Although the minister was somewhat intimidated by Prince Dun, he still retorted:
"Prince Dun, you are mistaken. Women should abide by their proper roles and not act so recklessly in public."
At this moment, Nian Gengyao stepped forward and glanced disdainfully at the minister.
"Lord Yang, why didn't you criticize Princess Xiu for showing her face when the princesses took the lead in getting vaccinated last time?"
At that time, the princesses, for the sake of the people's health, did not hesitate to personally demonstrate and go deep into the countryside to promote smallpox vaccination.
The princesses, with the world in their hearts, ensured that smallpox would no longer be a threat to the people.
Why didn't you say back then that the princesses shouldn't have stood up?
Nowadays, it's just running a textile factory and publishing a newspaper.
"You jump out and start making irresponsible remarks, what are your true intentions?"
Nian Gengyao's words were sharp, causing Lord Yang's face to turn red and white in turns.
Prince Dun burst out laughing.
General Nian is indeed General Nian; those words are truly satisfying!
These cowardly ministers, who only knew how to point fingers and give orders in court,
When it comes to truly doing things for the people, not a single one of them is visible.
He only knows how to point fingers and criticize in court, impeaching this person and that person.
When it comes to truly doing things for the people, not a single one of them is visible.
My nieces only run a textile factory and publish a newspaper.
It's ridiculous that they criticize us for such a small thing.
To be honest, Prince Dun quite likes his fourth son's daughters; they are generous, poised, and unpretentious.
Fucha's upbringing was better.
Prince Zhuang and others also agreed with Nian Gengyao's words; how could a royal princess be criticized by such people?
Lord Yang dared not utter another word after being spoken to by Nian Gengyao.
But those who had other plans in mind were unwilling to give up easily.
Soon a minister stepped forward.
The minister stepped forward and said with a serious expression:
"Your Majesty, I believe that although the princesses have good intentions, they are still women and it is hard to guarantee that they will not be taken advantage of by wicked people."
This textile factory and the "Da Qing Bai Xing Bao" (Great Qing People's Daily) were related to people's livelihood and public opinion.
This matter is of great importance; if it falls into the hands of criminals, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Your subject suggests that the imperial court appoint a special person to oversee the matter, to ensure that nothing goes wrong.
Upon hearing this, Hongchang's lips curled up.
"I have arranged reliable people around the princesses. How could they be so easily manipulated by villains?"
The princesses are all my sisters, and they received their education from the Empress Dowager from a young age.
I grew up with the princesses, and I trust them more than anyone else.
Hongchang's words clearly told the court officials that he did not trust them.
At this point, a minister said, "Your Majesty, the princesses are to be married off for political reasons."
"Women are more outgoing; is it inappropriate to involve princesses in such matters?"
Hongchang: "What's wrong with that? Even if princesses have husbands, they are still princesses."
With the Qing Dynasty as their backing, the Qing Dynasty and the princesses shared both prosperity and ruin.
As long as the Qing Dynasty remains strong, those men will only be able to fawn over the princesses.
Hongchang's words revealed the young emperor's firmness to the court officials.
The young emperor's attitude towards the princesses was completely different from that of the retired emperor.
The Emperor is protective of his own and values relationships, while the Retired Emperor would give up anything for the sake of the empire.
This emperor, perhaps, is just a young calf unafraid of tigers.
Does the emperor care so much about these princesses because he doesn't intend to let them marry into other families?
If the Mongols want to marry a princess, will the emperor fall out with them because of this?
The atmosphere in the imperial court gradually became tense.
The ministers who had originally planned to use this opportunity to impeach the princesses now looked at each other in bewilderment, secretly lamenting their predicament.
They had assumed the emperor would have reservations about the princesses showing themselves in public.
After all, traditional ideas are deeply ingrained, and women are expected to stay at home and avoid going out.
It is truly illogical that princesses are now openly setting up factories and newspapers.
However, Hongchang's tough stance made them realize that this young emperor was completely different from the retired emperor.
He not only did not oppose the princesses' actions, but fully supported them.
This won't do! How could His Majesty think like that?
It wouldn't be a problem if the princesses only accumulated some private property for themselves.
Unfortunately, the textile factory the princess set up was hiring female workers, and all the women ended up working there.
Who will bear children, support the husband, raise the children, and manage the household?
With such a precedent, how could the woman possibly stay obediently in the backyard?
At this moment, another minister came out and said...
"How can princesses employ female workers? Women are meant to be wives and mothers."
She used to manage household chores, but now she's showing her face in public to work in a factory. Isn't this a violation of social norms and ethics?
If this continues, a corrupt family atmosphere will have a significant impact on social values!
Many ministers nodded in agreement.
Prince Dun sneered and retorted:
"Ministers, you really are talking without understanding the pain!"
The reason a woman is asked to go out and earn money to support her family is either because the family is truly in dire financial straits.
Or perhaps the men in the family are incompetent, forcing the women to go out and earn a living.
"If they don't go to work in factories, are they just going to starve to death?"
Nian Gengyao also spoke up, "If textile factories don't hire female workers, are they going to let men spin cloth?"
At that point, we'll only make ourselves a laughingstock.
Fu Heng then added, "Your Majesty, this servant believes that proper family tradition refers to..."
A harmonious family, a loving couple, and filial children.
A good family is one where everyone works together and strives for the family's well-being.
Instead of simply requiring women to stay at home.
The ministers who opposed him, including Prince Dun, Nian Gengyao, and Fuheng, were rendered speechless.
Hongchang was also impatient to listen to the ministers' repetitive and unoriginal reasons.
Hongchang scanned the entire room:
"My mind is made up. The princesses have done things that benefit the country and its people. If anyone makes any further unfounded accusations, don't blame me for being impolite."
After saying that, he turned his gaze to the ministers who still wanted to speak, his eyes cold.
Upon seeing this, the ministers all fell silent.
Although Zhang Hude didn't speak, he took those who criticized the princess to heart.
When we get back, I'll have Lan Yi investigate these people's dirty deeds.
Lan Yi is the head of the Emperor's secret guards.
Zhang Hude thought to himself, "These ministers are usually so sanctimonious..."
Behind the scenes, however, they have been involved in countless shady dealings.
Their blatant criticism of the princesses today is clearly out of jealousy of their achievements.
Such a shameless person should be known by the whole world.
Let's see who dares to boss the Emperor and princesses around again.
Zhang Hude saw that the court had quieted down.
"If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court may adjourn."
Seeing that no one in the court dared to speak, Nian Gengyao smiled slightly and cupped his hands, saying:
"Your Majesty, I believe that today's events should be clearly explained to the people of the world to set the record straight."
The princesses' actions are all for the benefit of the people; anyone who dares to criticize them without cause is making an enemy of the people.
Hongchang nodded, his gaze sweeping over the crowd like a sword:
"Zhang Hude, convey my decree to record in detail the events of today's court proceedings."
It will be published tomorrow along with the "Da Qing Bai Xing Bao" newspaper.
Let all the people of the world know who is working for their benefit and who is causing trouble for no reason!
Zhang Hude accepted the order and left, leaving the court in silence.
The ministers looked at each other, their hearts filled with regret and unease.
They had intended to use this opportunity to suppress the princesses, but unexpectedly, Hongchang outmaneuvered them instead.
Now we are going to lose face in front of the people of the world.
Nian Gengyao didn't care what the ministers thought.
"Your Majesty, I have something else to report. I rescued someone a few days ago..."
This person has made a significant discovery; I request Your Majesty's permission to allow him to appear before the Emperor.
Before Hongchang could even speak, someone stepped forward to criticize Nian Gengyao.
"Nian Gengyao, what do you mean by this? How can you bring people into the palace at will?"
This person's identity is unknown; how could he so easily gain an audience with the Emperor?
The minister spoke sternly, clearly wanting to seize the opportunity to give Nian Gengyao a hard time.
Nian Gengyao sneered and retorted without fear: "My lord, the person I saved is related to the safety of the Qing Dynasty and is by no means an insignificant person."
If we delay important matters by following the rules, wouldn't that be losing more than we gain?
Furthermore, if the information this person possesses is not promptly reported to the Emperor, it could cause irreparable damage to the Qing Dynasty.
Hongchang's expression turned serious upon hearing this.
This statement from Nian Gengyao suggests that this person is very important, and that he still trusts Nian Gengyao.
Even if that person truly had ulterior motives, all those years of martial arts training he and Zhang Hude had been for nothing.
Since Nian Gengyao said this person was of great importance, then naturally a meeting was necessary.
Hongchang nodded slightly and said in a deep voice:
"In that case, bring this person to the palace immediately. I want to ask him about this myself."
Zhang Hude immediately responded and arranged for someone to bring the mysterious figure to the imperial court.
A short while later, a middle-aged man dressed in tattered clothes was brought up.
He knelt on the ground, his eyes filled with fear and unease, clearly intimidated by the majesty of the court.
Nian Gengyao looked at that person and said
"Tell the Emperor everything in detail, without hiding anything."
The middle-aged man trembled, kowtowed, and said:
"Your Majesty, I am a merchant, and my family has been merchants for four generations."
My ancestors even went to sea, and I know some Japanese.
Because of the maritime ban, the common people could only buy seafood from fishermen.
Five years ago, the little man went to buy seafood by boat, but he accidentally fell into the sea.
The middle-aged man's voice trembled slightly as he continued:
"I thought I was going to die, but luckily I was rescued by a ship, which turned out to be a Japanese ship."
Upon hearing that they were speaking Japanese, the scoundrel pretended to be a Japanese.
I stayed in Japan for five years. During those five years...
I've noticed that Japan holds our Great Qing Dynasty in particularly high regard.
They believed that the Qing Dynasty was the most powerful country in the world, but at the same time, they had long coveted its wealth and resources.
The scoundrel also discovered that some nobles and samurai in Japan would pretend to be pirates to plunder and harass others.
Ships and civilians from the coastal areas of my Great Qing Dynasty have even systematically infiltrated into my Great Qing territory.
They were trying to find an opportunity to create chaos so as to take the opportunity to find out about the Qing Dynasty's military deployment and defensive weaknesses.
They also secretly colluded with some unscrupulous merchants along the coast to smuggle goods and pass on intelligence.
The middle-aged man's words were like a bombshell, causing a huge uproar in the imperial court.
The ministers looked at each other, their expressions varied; some were shocked, some were angry, and some were secretly plotting.
Japan is just a tiny, insignificant country; where did it get the audacity to covet the Qing Dynasty?
Is this person exaggerating or spreading fear?
Hongchang was not particularly surprised by this, as these Japanese had long harbored ambitions.
He had long desired to destroy Japan, and he had also long wanted to lift the maritime ban.
Hongchang's expression turned extremely serious. He slammed his hand on the dragon table and roared:
"You audacious Japanese pirates, you truly have the ambition of wolves! Continue, have you discovered anything else?"
The middle-aged man immediately kowtowed, his voice trembling as he continued:
"Your Majesty, when I was in Japan, I found their ships to be very large and sturdy."
I also heard that they imported many advanced weapons and shipbuilding technologies from a place called 'Red Hair Country'.
They are also researching more advanced weapons.
Their goal was not merely to plunder wealth, but also to find an opportunity to seize the coastal areas of our Great Qing Dynasty.
Nian Gengyao stepped forward and said, "These Japanese are wolves in sheep's clothing. Your humble servant is willing to lead troops to crush this Japanese country."
Prince Dun also stepped forward and said in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty, these Japanese pirates are wolves in sheep's clothing and we must be on guard against them."
"I am also willing to lead my troops to conquer Japan."
At this point, someone stood up and retorted:
"General Nian, your skill in horseback warfare does not mean you are also skilled in naval warfare."
Naval warfare is completely different from land warfare, requiring specialized naval forces and ships.
You are unfamiliar with naval warfare; rashly deploying troops could lead to unnecessary losses.
Did Nian Gengyao not know these things? He was merely stating his position.
Furthermore, does not understanding something mean one cannot learn it?
Nian Gengyao sneered and retorted:
"My lord, although I am not good at naval warfare, there is always time to learn."
The soldiers of the Qing Dynasty were always brave and fearless; they would obey the emperor's command at all times.
This general will certainly devote all his strength and vow to defend the territory of the Great Qing to the death!
"General Nian, the identity of the man you brought is unknown."
Whether what is said is true or false is still unknown, so how can we rashly send troops?
If we lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small gains, how can we explain this to the people?
Prince Dun snorted coldly and said firmly:
"The Japanese have long harbored ambitions!"
Fishermen in the coastal region have long been harassed by Japanese pirates; this is not a recent phenomenon.
They even dare to secretly collude with unscrupulous merchants, attempting to infiltrate the interior of our Great Qing Dynasty!
This is clearly a provocation against our Great Qing Dynasty!
Hongchang nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the entire room like a sword:
"My ministers, today's matter concerns the safety of our Great Qing Dynasty and is by no means a trivial matter."
I have decided to send men out to sea to investigate the truth, and at the same time strengthen coastal defenses to prevent the invasion of Japanese pirates!
Do you have any other suggestions?
Nian Gengyao: "Your Majesty, I believe we should have people research and improve cannons and ships for naval operations."
We still need to take precautions early and enhance our coastal defense capabilities.
Japan's ambitions have been exposed; we can no longer sit idly by and wait for our doom.
Only by gaining an advantage in weaponry and equipment can we defend the Qing Dynasty's territory at sea.
Hongchang nodded slightly, his gaze firm: "What Nian Gengyao said is absolutely right."
I will arrange for someone to handle this matter.