The 26th proposal of Lao Ba

  Dai Zhi was once banished along with his family for the crime of "privately communicating with foreigners". The specific reason was also clear to Kangxi, but unexpectedly it has been twenty years. With a faint sigh, Kangxi said: "Dai Zhi indeed had exceptional skills in firearms, as expected." After finishing speaking, Kangxi changed the subject, "Do you have any concrete ideas about recruiting the navy?"

  Yin Zhen knew that Kangxi had stirred up his fear of firearms again because of Dai Zi's matter, so he carefully replied: "Although the navy values good swimmers, I think the control of the navy should still be firmly in our Manchu people's hands. I plan to recruit a batch of young men from the Eight Banners in Beijing who are under 18 years old and bring them with me as junior officers for training. Not knowing how to swim is no big deal, they will learn after more practice."

  Moreover, the recruitment of soldiers cannot be concentrated in one place, so as to avoid the situation of gathering and being difficult to control. I plan to recruit separately in Fengtian, Jingjin, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, with a total number of 2,000 for the first batch, preferably under 18 years old, and it's even better if they can recognize characters and read.

  "At present, the number of naval personnel in Western countries is generally around 40,000. I plan to train 20,000 within five years. The military salary is nominally issued by the state, but it can be completely paid from the profits of the ocean-going trading fleet without increasing the burden on the country. For now, that's all I have considered, please correct me, Your Majesty."

  Kangxi nodded frequently, twirling his whiskers and said: "In these years you have been tempered, considering things in order, clear and logical, it is rare that you can prevent problems before they arise. The world has been at peace for many years, the livelihood of the Eight Banners has become increasingly difficult, and the recruitment of the navy can also slightly alleviate this situation. Good, this matter will be handed over to you to handle, I am greatly relieved. There is only one thing you must remember, firearms must be strictly managed, not a single gun or cannon should be allowed to flow out."

  Out of the palace, it was already dinner time, but Yong Zheng did not return to his residence. He sent two guards to invite Old Ten and Old Nine to gather at Eighth Brother Yong's residence, and then he also ordered someone to call Zheng Shichang, Hai Feng, Yang Min, Bai Ziyun, Ding Shan, the missionary Min Mingyi and several others to wait in the residence. Afterwards, he did not take a sedan chair, but walked straight out of the palace.

  Establishing a deep-sea fleet and naval academy would not cost the country a single penny, but it was a matter of great importance. Given Kangxi's temperament of never discussing anything with anyone, this matter would definitely be brought up in public at court meetings. If there were too many people opposing it, it would be bad for Kangxi's face, and if it affected Kangxi's support for him, Yin Zhen would truly have nowhere to cry. Therefore, Yin Zhen had to communicate with Eighth Brother Yin Xiang first.

  "I didn't expect you to come at this time, Fourteenth Brother. You haven't eaten yet, have you? I've already ordered the servants to prepare wine and dishes again."

  Yuan Zhen smiled and said, "Eighth Brother won't blame me for disturbing him, will he?"

  "Haha, you're a big shot now, many people can't even get an appointment with you." Yongzhong laughed and said: "Today's opportunity is rare, let's have a good drink."

  "Fourteen also thought so, and even sent someone to invite Ninth Brother and Tenth Brother." said Yongzheng as he walked.

  His footsteps paused for a moment, and he said in a low voice: "Just came out of the palace?"

  Yuan Zhen nodded and said in a somewhat melancholy tone: "Today's gathering, I'm afraid we brothers will have to part ways again."

  "Are you leaving Beijing?" Yong Yi said in surprise, then smiled and said: "Alright, let's consider today as a farewell dinner for you."

  Until Lao Jiu and Lao Shi arrived, Yong Yi didn't ask another question. When the banquet resumed, he still didn't mention anything important, only repeatedly urging everyone to drink and chatting about romantic matters. Seeing this situation, Lao Jiu and Lao Shi also suppressed their doubts and just focused on drinking and laughing.

  After the seats were scattered, the four of them went to Yongzheng's study to drink tea. Only then did Yongzheng explain in detail about building a far-reaching ocean fleet. Finally, he said sincerely: "This matter, I'm afraid Mother Empress is overthinking, and the 14th didn't discuss it with his brothers beforehand..."

  Lao Jiu saw that Yinzhen was acting on his own again, taking over a thousand million taels of silver to build a far-off ocean fleet. This was clearly an unprofitable endeavor, and he couldn't help but mock: "You rushed to Eighth Brother's place as soon as you left the palace, why aren't you afraid that the Emperor will worry?"

  Yinxiang's gaze was not something that Laojiu could compare to. As soon as he heard Laojiu's tone, he became anxious and stood up, shouting in a low voice, "Yinxiang, have you had too much wine? This before and after, it's like heaven and earth, can't you even tell the difference?" Afraid that Yinxiang would be too embarrassed, he continued to explain: "Everyone in the capital says that we four brothers are one party, how could the Emperor not know? If fourteen came to find us first and then went to the Emperor, how could it be hidden from the Emperor? Don't underestimate this before and after, there's a lot of reasoning behind it. Moreover, fourteen's move was not only clever but also steady, this kind of insight and courage, even I, Eighth Brother, can't compare."

  Lao Jiu was taken aback by Yun Yi's words and began to think carefully, while Lao Shi Yun Xun was a straightforward person and muttered in a low voice, "Isn't this obviously throwing over 10 million away into the sea?"

  "Brother Shi, when encountering things, think from a broader perspective, don't just focus on what's in front of you." Yin Zhen said with a smile. He still had a lot to deal with after returning, and didn't want to waste time here. After finishing speaking, he glanced at Brother Ba Yin Xiang, "Brother Ba, you see things clearly, I won't mince words. Leaving the capital is likely to be in these few days. There are some things that I must say, today's opportunity is rare, so I'll say them all together."

  All three of them felt the strong momentum from this sentence, and in half a year, the Fourteenth seemed to have changed into another person. However, the three of them also knew that what Yong Zheng was going to say next would be extremely heavy, so they all looked at him with solemn expressions.

  Yong Zheng indeed wanted to knock some sense into his three sworn brothers. Once they left the capital, it wouldn't be so convenient. "Tenth Brother, you are straightforward and broad-minded, which is what the Emperor likes most. Even if you occasionally make a small mistake, the Emperor won't make things difficult for you. As for Ninth Brother, it's best to get rid of your villa in Xijiao as soon as possible. You must also strictly control your servants. And stop dealing with ginseng. Transfer your timber business to Shanghai. The longer you can hold on, the safer you'll be."

  Finally, Yongzheng looked at Lao Ba, "Eighth brother, the one thing that makes Fourteenth most uneasy is you. The matter of promoting the crown prince has pushed you to the forefront, and I still haven't figured out whether there's someone behind the scenes stirring up trouble. Huang Amao is a man of great talent and cunning, with deep plans and schemes; even if we twelve brothers were tied together, we couldn't compare to him. We will definitely compete, but there's a bottom line that cannot be crossed - the imperial power. Also, be careful around Second Brother and Fourth Brother. I've been very busy these past few days, so I'll take my leave first."

  Trespassing on imperial power! These four words are like a loud wake-up call, and Yinxiang only feels his heart pounding with excitement. The frustration, confusion, humiliation, and depression of the past half year have suddenly been lifted. The demotion of the crown prince, the confinement and appointment of the other princes, the humiliation suffered during the selection of the new crown prince, the reinstatement of the old crown prince, the frequent appointments and transfers of high-ranking officials... all these are rooted in these four words: Trespassing on imperial power!