Chapter 229: Kicking a Man When He’s Down

Chapter 229: Kicking a Man When He’s Down

When Ma Wensheng spoke the three words “Liu Daxia,” none of the ministers in the hall could associate those three words with the term “Noble Person” anymore.

Even Xie Qian let out an angry shout.

Liu Jian’s face was very cold.

Li Dongyang remained silent, but his dark expression said everything.

The Censors, Supervising Secretaries, and Hanlin Academicians who had once admired Liu Daxia now looked at him with hatred.

Boasting was like a double-edged sword. It could bring you a good reputation and make you a Noble Person, but if you messed it up, you became a sinner for all time.

Now, calling Liu Daxia a sinner for all time was not wrong at all.

Liu Daxia knew he had messed up. His legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground like a boneless heap. He muttered something, wanting to defend himself, but his usual eloquence completely failed him now.

What could he say at this moment? The corners of his mouth twitched, and his eyes widened slightly as he stared in fear at the angry crowd before him.

Emperor Hongzhi was completely furious. He stared wide-eyed at Liu Daxia and said, “You were the Director of the Bureau of Operations in the Ministry of War. At that time, all the nautical charts and shipbuilding methods were under your care. Why were they all burned at once?”

“I… I…” Liu Daxia wore a mournful expression and did not dare to look at the furious Emperor Hongzhi.

Then he started trembling because… an even more terrible truth was about to be revealed.

He lay flat on the ground, shaking like a sieve, and said in a trembling voice, “I deserve to die ten thousand times!”

“Your Majesty!” someone reported. It was a Censor who stepped forward. “I heard that during the Chenghua era, Liu Daxia burned all the nautical charts to prevent the Minister of War, Xiang Zhong, from obtaining them. At that time, the late emperor was considering restarting the Voyages to the Western Oceans and was already inclined to do so. Liu Daxia decided to go all the way and completely destroyed the nautical charts. This matter is not only widely known, but it is also said that Liu Daxia never denied it!”

Emperor Hongzhi was shocked.

He instantly understood something.

If Liu Daxia had merely been negligent, he could have shifted the blame to the clerks below for their incompetence. But now… this was not negligence. This was an official who thought he was acting for the people, but for the sake of his own reputation, used a fire to gain great fame.

But what he burned was hundreds of millions of taels of silver, tens of millions of shi of grain, and the accumulated knowledge and experience of countless generations, built over the lifetimes of hundreds of thousands of people.

“Hmph…” Emperor Hongzhi narrowed his eyes, the corners of his mouth twitching. His expression had never been so terrifying.

The air seemed to freeze in an instant, and no one dared to make a sound.

Liu Daxia naturally felt Emperor Hongzhi’s anger. He buried his head deeply and repeated, “I deserve to die ten thousand times!”

Clearly, he did not dare to refute, nor could he.

“Animal!” Emperor Hongzhi stared coldly at Liu Daxia, raised his foot, and kicked down hard.

He had never laid a hand on a minister before, but today, he could not hold back.

This kick landed directly on the back of Liu Daxia’s head. Liu Daxia lost control of his head, and with a thud, his forehead slammed hard onto the copper brick. Immediately, his forehead was torn and bloody, and bright red blood flowed freely.

He did not dare to wipe it away, letting the blood roll down his cheeks. He lay there like a dead dog, moaning in pain. Unfortunately, no one felt sorry for him anymore.

Fang Jifan… he had trapped him.

He had trapped him to death.

But what could he do?

Fang Jifan watched all of this coldly. In truth, whether Liu Daxia burned the nautical charts for personal gain or simply to earn fame no longer mattered.

Zheng He’s lifelong efforts had been reduced to ashes by Liu Daxia. For that alone, he deserved to die.

“Guards, take him away and imprison him in the Imperial Prison of the Northern Administrative Bureau. Tell Mou Bin that within three days, I want his confession!”

Liu Daxia was in despair.

He had thought that the worst outcome for him would be being stripped of his position or forced to retire. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that his fate would be the Imperial Prison.

Even though under Commander Mou Bin’s leadership, the Brocade Guard was no longer as cruel as before, once a person was arrested by the Emperor’s direct order and thrown into that prison, it would be a living hell. He couldn’t help but beg for mercy.

“Your Majesty, have mercy!”

Unfortunately, no one paid him any attention. A group of Commandants from outside the hall rushed in, lifted him up, and dragged him out like a dead dog. “Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

Liu Daxia’s wails grew fainter and fainter.

But no one in the hall was willing to speak up for him anymore. Even those familiar with him watched coldly from start to finish, as if he were a stranger.

After his outburst of anger, Emperor Hongzhi took a deep breath.

“Without the nautical charts and the shipbuilding materials, we must start from scratch. Without the guidance of our predecessors and the experience of our Ancestors, we will still sail the seas! The Ministry of War must first draft a plan for the Voyages to the Western Oceans. Do it quickly. All ministries must assist, especially the Ministry of Revenue. Don’t be afraid to spend money and grain. Emperor Wen could sail the Western Oceans, and so can I. Emperor Wen could start from nothing, and so can I!”

“I obey your command,” Ma Wensheng said without hesitation. He understood very well that the Voyages to the Western Oceans were now urgent. Anyone who dared to obstruct would deserve to die.

Li Dongyang, as the Minister of Revenue, also stepped forward and spoke very seriously.

“Your old minister makes a promise first: when the Ministry of War drafts the regulations, do not worry about money and grain. The important thing is to carry out the Voyages to the Western Oceans as soon as possible. If we lack silver and grain, no matter how difficult it is for the Ministry of Revenue, we will find a way.”

Hong Zhong, the Minister of Works, also stepped forward. He had once been the Surveillance Commissioner of Sichuan and oversaw military affairs in Jizhou. His life experience was similar to that of the former Minister of War, Xiang Zhong. Both had been tempered in local posts, so he had long been dissatisfied with Liu Daxia’s burning of the nautical charts and felt great sympathy for Xiang Zhong. He now spoke.

“The Ministry of Works will do everything possible to recruit skilled Artisans. In places like Fujian, Guangdong, and Jiangzhe, there should still be many old Artisans who have passed down some secret techniques for building Sea Vessels by word of mouth. I will order my men to search diligently and see if it can be done.”

Hong Zhong was deeply worried about this. Building ships and building Sea Vessels were not the same. What Liu Daxia burned were the materials for ocean-going Sea Vessels, which were extremely precious. The ocean has huge waves, so how to strengthen the hull, how to ensure supplies on board, and even how to fight if they encounter pirates. Also, where there are islands with fresh water to supply the fleet, where they can dock, and which seasons have big waves at sea—each piece of information was originally obtained at the cost of many lives. What the Ministry of Works could do was try their best to gather some information from the descendants of the last group of shipbuilders and Sailors who had sailed the Western Oceans.

Emperor Hongzhi’s expression softened a little, but he shook his head and then sighed.

“I thank all my ministers for your efforts.”

He was no longer in the mood. The sky outside had already grown dark.

“Regarding matters related to the Voyages to the Western Oceans, any memorials or reports, no matter when, must be immediately delivered to the palace. I will personally… review each one.”

After the great joy and anger, Emperor Hongzhi looked slightly tired. He glanced deeply at Fang Jifan.

“Fang Jifan presented the sweet potato, which has ensured that our Great Ming will not face famine for a hundred years. This is a great merit. If one day we can find that Pearl Rice and Corn, Fang Jifan will still be credited as the top contributor. My ministers… it is late, you may retire now.”

After saying this, he turned around.

Just as the ministers were about to take their leave, he suddenly turned back and said to Fang Jifan, word by word, “Leave all the sweet potatoes you brought.”

“Oh,” Fang Jifan quickly said. “I obey your command.”

He thought to himself, Where in this lifetime will you find rice as big as pearls or Corn that yields a hundred shi per mu? It seems I, Fang Jifan, will never receive this merit.

Then he became excited again. Participation was what mattered. During the Voyages to the Western Oceans, they could train Sailors repeatedly, continuously improve shipbuilding technology, and allow the entire Great Ming to see the world more clearly. They could strengthen more exchanges.

As for learning from others’ strengths and integrating them, Fang Jifan wasn’t bragging—the Han people could surpass their peers with just a finger.

He hurriedly led a group of Commandants out through the Meridian Gate.

Zhang Xin and the others closely followed Fang Jifan, all beaming with joy. The Chief Banner Officer Yang Da, pinching his calloused fingers, kept calculating with those around him how promising his position as Hereditary Commander of a Thousand Households was, how much rice and salary it could bring to his descendants.

Fang Jifan had been holding back all the way out of the palace. Finally, after exiting the Meridian Gate, he raised his leg and kicked Yang Da hard. He coldly reminded him, “You dog, the price of rice is about to plummet, and you’re still counting your rice. Have some ambition, will you?”

This kick sent Yang Da sprawling. If he had fallen in the Western Hills, the muddy ground wouldn’t have been a problem, but the Imperial Way was paved with bricks and stones. Yang Da’s knee was scraped badly, and he grimaced in pain, hurriedly saying in a pitiful voice, “I deserve to die.”

“Get out of the way, you annoy me!” Fang Jifan waved his hand at him impatiently.

“Oh,” Yang Da nodded obediently, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned. He was happy inside. He saluted Fang Jifan and quickly stood far away, not daring to get close to Fang Jifan again.

But no one in the Baihu Station, including Yang Da, dared to hold any grudge against Fang Jifan.

In other places, if a superior was harsh, everyone would inevitably complain.

But Fang Jifan was different. Although Fang Jifan was harsh, he was a man of solutions. Not only did he have solutions, but when there was merit, he would do his best to recommend you.

The so-called “father and son fighting side by side in battle” actually followed the same logic. You often see a father beating his son, but how many sons truly resent their father? The reason is that, even though they get beaten, the sons know that although this father might hit you, when there are benefits, he will also think of you first.

Therefore, between father and son, besides blood ties, there is this layer of trust.

Now, Fang Jifan was their father. He could hit them as he pleased, and they would still submit. This wasn’t because Yang Da and the others were lowly, but because… they believed that even though he hit them, when it came to critical moments, the Bai Hu would not treat them unfairly. Even if they went to the battlefield, if they needed someone to watch their back, they would hope that person would be Fang Jifan.