The grand hall was deathly quiet.
Emperor Tiansheng was too lazy to deal with these court officials any longer.
"Where is the Minister of Works!" he suddenly demanded.
The Minister of Works hurriedly stepped out of the queue. "Your subject is here!"
"I'm asking you! If the court immediately mobilizes the most skilled craftsmen from across the land to the four shipyards to build large sea - going vessels capable of traveling thousands of miles, how many ships can be built within three months? And how many ships can form a fleet within six months?"
However, Emperor Tiansheng didn't even wait for the Minister of Works to answer and just continued on his own.
"This matter cannot be delayed. Spread my decree. The Ministry of Revenue shall immediately calculate the funds, and the Ministry of War shall dispatch the elite naval forces. I'm going to set sail right away! I want to see this silver mountain right away!"
After these words were spoken, all the civil and military officials in Fengtian Hall blushed and their hearts pounded wildly.
No one dared to stand up to stop the emperor.
At this moment, the only thing in the minds of all the court officials was the phrase "silver everywhere".
The officials from the Jiangnan region even exchanged glances with each other, so excited that their wide - sleeved robes were trembling slightly.
As long as the court took the lead, they were sure to get the biggest slice of this pie.
"Your Majesty,"
A calm voice suddenly sounded.
Xu Qinghuan slightly bowed and said,
"I believe that it is absolutely impossible for the court to fund and dispatch officials to build ships and set sail at present."
As soon as these words were uttered, the entire Fengtian Hall was instantly in shock!
The fanaticism on Emperor Tiansheng's face instantly froze.
He stared at Xu Qinghuan, and his tone suddenly turned cold. "Xu Qinghuan, it was you who presented this map, and it was also you who described the grand map of the nations to me."
"Now that I want to use the entire nation's strength to seek this boundless wealth, you say it's absolutely impossible? Are you making a fool of me!"
Xu Qinghuan calmly replied, "I wouldn't dare to make a fool of Your Majesty."
"I'm just stating the dead - end situation that the Great Qian Dynasty is currently facing."
"Your Majesty wants ships, sailors, and fleets. Which of these doesn't require a huge amount of real gold and silver to support?"
She continued, "Your Majesty, please listen to me as I carefully calculate this account."
"For a three - masted Fuchuan ship with a load capacity of 3,000 dan, to remain stable in storms and rough seas, just the century - old nanmu for the keel alone is worth a fortune."
"Then, add tens of thousands of iron rivets, hundreds of catties of tung oil for anti - corrosion and insect - repelling, and thousands of zhang of canvas."
"Just the cost of materials for an empty ship is definitely no less than 50,000 taels of silver!"
Xu Qinghuan gestured with her fingers continuously. "After the ship is built, someone has to sail it.
"Your Majesty also knows that going to sea is a life - risking business. To recruit sailors who are familiar with the water and bold and careful, each ship will inevitably need at least 300 people.
"Before these 300 people go to sea, shouldn't the court give them resettlement fees and hazard pay? At least 100 taels per person for comfort, which is another 30,000 taels!"
Emperor Tiansheng frowned slightly, and his fingers slowly tightened on the armrest of the dragon throne.
"Moreover,"
"The sea is not a smooth journey.
"On the vast ocean, there are deep - sea waves and barbaric pirates who are as cruel as wolves.
"Each long - distance warship must be equipped with ten one - thousand - jin red cannons, along with countless gunpowder and lead bullets.
"The cost of these military supplies is also tens of thousands of taels."
Xu Qinghuan's calculations didn't stop, and she mentioned the most fatal risk:
"The most crucial thing is that the sea charts are just being explored, and the sea routes are not stable.
"Out of ten ships setting sail, when encountering a monstrous storm, perhaps less than six or seven can safely return to the ports of the Great Qian Dynasty. Sinking one ship means more than 100,000 taels of silver going to waste."
She bowed deeply with clasped fists and then said, "Your Majesty, if you want to assemble a large ocean - going fleet capable of withstanding storms and bringing back silver mountains."
"At least a hundred giant ships need to be built! The initial expenses for ship - building, recruiting soldiers, and arming them, combined with the inevitable rate of shipwrecks and losses along the sea route."
"Roughly calculated, to cover these costs, it will consume at least forty percent of the annual revenue of the Great Qian!"
Xu Qinghuan emphasized, "But now... The northern border is covered in continuous snowstorms, and the soldiers on the nine frontier defenses consume a large amount of food and money every day.
"Just after the flood in the south of the Yangtze River has subsided, hundreds of thousands of displaced people are crying for food, and it's already difficult to settle the common people."
"The granary of the Ministry of Revenue is so empty that even rats can run around in it."
How can the Great Qian afford to gamble forty percent of its annual revenue? The imperial court simply cannot bear the initial investment for this great maritime venture!
Emperor Tiansheng's face had completely darkened.
He refused to believe it.
With a three - hundred - year foundation of the Great Qian, how could it be impossible to scrape together the money to build a fleet?
He roared angrily, "Ministry of Revenue!"
Xu Youde, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, had already gone to the south of the Yangtze River with the emperor's sword.
Vice Minister Cui was only holding a nominal position.
At this time, another vice - minister of the Ministry of Revenue had to brace himself and step out of the queue with his trembling legs.
Li Qingyuan knelt on the ground with a thud, shaking like a sieve.
"Your humble servant is here."
"The Ministry of Revenue is in charge of the country's finances! Tell me, is what Magistrate Xu calculated correct or not!"
"Right now, can the Ministry of Revenue allocate the silver for building these ships!"
Emperor Tiansheng stared fixedly at him.
Li Qingyuan lay prostrate on the ground, his voice filled with sobs:
"Your Majesty... The accounts reported by Magistrate Xu are completely accurate, and he even calculated on the low side.
"The nanmu for building large ships has been hoarded by timber merchants in the south of the Yangtze River, and the price has doubled.
"Currently, the silver in the granary of the Ministry of Revenue can't even add up to five hundred thousand taels."
Li Qingyuan didn't know how to continue. Gritting his teeth secretly, he said:
"Not to mention forty percent of the annual revenue... Your Majesty, if even ten percent is allocated for ship - building, the rations for the soldiers on the nine frontier defenses will be completely cut off next month, and not a single tael of silver can be paid to the imperial guards inside and outside the capital!"
These words completely shattered Emperor Tiansheng's last glimmer of hope.
The Fengtian Hall fell into a deathly silence.
No one dared to anger the emperor at this moment.
Emperor Tiansheng stared fixedly at the vice - minister of the Ministry of Revenue kneeling on the ground for a full ten breaths.
Suddenly, his straight body slumped, and he slumped dejectedly against the back of the broad dragon throne.
The fanaticism in his eyes was completely extinguished, and his face was ashen.
Clearly, that towering mountain of gold was right in front of him, and the blueprints were lying on the table.
He had even planned how to use the silver to fill the national treasury, how to feed the starving people with divine grains, and how to send troops to pacify the northern desert.
But now, this damned imperial court couldn't even scrape together the travel expenses to reach the foot of the mountain of gold!
A great sense of powerlessness enveloped him.
He closed his eyes, his chest so tight that he could hardly breathe.
The court was so quiet that only the heavy breathing of the officials could be heard.
After a long time.
The old emperor finally opened his eyes again.
His gaze passed over the court officials and landed on Xu Qinghuan, who was standing calmly in the hall.
The emperor's gaze changed.
Looking at the young Xu Qinghuan, Emperor Tiansheng's tone softened unexpectedly. Even in front of all the court officials, there was a rare hint of pleading in his voice.
"Xu Qinghuan," the old emperor's voice was tinged with exhaustion. "Since you were able to present this nautical chart and dared to outline such a grand vision here in the Hall of Heavenly Peace, you must have anticipated the current predicament of the court lacking funds to build ships."
The old emperor leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed intently on her. "You must have a way to solve this problem. Teach me, please!"
