Chapter 761 - 366: Be My Son-in-law_2
Still just a stubborn kid.
Qian Yixiu saw his face turn bright red and quickly smiled, "What’s the rush? It’s not like I said I disagreed. I have two sons, and my brother has three daughters, all about the same age. Who knows which one should match which. When they grow up, we’ll see which two are well-matched, then we’ll help them get together. There’s no point in us fussing about it now. Setting up a blind date doesn’t guarantee success."
After hearing this, Zhu Sujin felt indeed, that was the case, and let the matter rest.
The men then started discussing the establishment of the navy again. Qian Yixiu pricked up her ears to listen, and Zhu Sujin was also drawn in by the topic.
Emperor Qianwu was visionary. This time, in establishing the navy, building large warships and cannons suitable for use on ships, as well as constructing major seaports and a series of facilities serving the navy, the goal wasn’t just the next step of lifting the maritime bans to defend against enemies and combat the increasingly rampant pirates. More importantly, it was about dominating the seas and securing blessings for generations to come. The Emperor’s idea was that many things should be done in one step, or rather, done even better, to reduce the chances of having to spend silver repeatedly.
As a result, a huge amount of silver was needed. According to the Ministry of Revenue’s budget, it would cost at least fifty million taels of silver, or even more. Although the national treasury was full, spending so much money all at once still pained Emperor Qianwu greatly. Some court officials submitted memorials asking to increase taxes. Emperor Qianwu was unwilling, as the previous year he had reduced the taxes for the people in honor of his new era, and it would not be good to change the decree overnight. Especially since he wanted to be a good emperor; he did not want to make life harder for the people just because of military development.
In a low voice, Qian Yixiu said to Zhu Sujin, "Crown Prince, now is an excellent opportunity for you to alleviate His Majesty’s worries, to show the court officials your capability, and to win over the hearts of the people."
Zhu Sujin eagerly leaned in and asked, "What do you suggest, Sister?"
Qian Yixiu said, "Since the establishment of the Great Qian Kingdom, every emperor has shown compassion for the people, changing the ancient practice of favoring agriculture over commerce, and has issued many policies supporting commerce and handicrafts. Especially since the previous emperor, the Great Qian Kingdom has been thriving like never before. Now, not only are the people living and working in peace and contentment, but merchants are exceedingly wealthy, including many imperial relatives, nobles, and aristocratic families who are involved in commerce, all of whom are extremely rich." She added with a smile, "Like you and me, the Prince Shou Residence, the Qian family, and so on. The Crown Prince should lead by example, donating at least one hundred thousand taels of silver; afterwards, we will all follow suit. But it should not be a forced donation, and the amount should not be limited. Some officials are still very poor..."