bullyxtreme Chapter 87 Are you sure you only want this little bit from me?
Chapter 87 Are you sure you only want this little bit from me?
Qi Jingtong was startled. Although he didn't know why Zhu Houzhao was so furious, he immediately knelt down and apologized.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This humble subject is guilty and begs for punishment!"
The other officials in Fengtian Hall Square also looked puzzled, glancing at Zhu Houzhao on the dragon throne with suspicion.
To be fair, they all felt that Qi Jingtong's words were insightful and perfectly addressed the current chaos caused by the Japanese pirates. They wondered why Zhu Houzhao would suddenly become angry.
Did Zhu Houzhao have a deeper understanding of how to deal with the Japanese pirates than Qi Jingtong?
Zhu Houzhao looked down at Qi Jingtong, who was kneeling and begging for forgiveness, his face displeased, and spoke indifferently.
"Qi Jingtong, do you know where you went wrong?"
Qi Jingtong hesitated for a moment, but still chose to tell the truth: "Your Majesty, I do not know."
"Your mistake lies in not understanding what I mean."
"Or rather, you know nothing about my strength, or the strength of the Ming Dynasty."
What?
Qi Jingtong raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion.
Zhu Houzhao remained expressionless, his voice low and deep: "I have said it before, I will fully support your resistance against the Japanese pirates!"
"Do you understand what I mean by 'all out'?!"
"You're still telling me your petty tricks and schemes!"
"What kind of support do you need for those methods you just mentioned? How much time will it take to kill so many Japanese pirates?"
At this moment, Qi Jingtong finally began to understand the feeling. When he thought of that possibility, he couldn't help but tremble slightly with excitement.
But his conjecture was so astonishing that even he himself was not sure of it.
Qi Jingtong suppressed his excitement and replied, "Your Majesty, according to my plan, I only ask that Your Majesty provide me with 50,000 taels of silver, 200,000 shi of grain, 5,000 sets of armor, and 1,000 soldiers of the Shenji Battalion."
"I am certain that I will be able to kill five thousand Japanese pirates within three years, restoring peace to the people along the coast of the Ming Dynasty!"
Upon hearing Qi Jingtong's words, all the civil and military officials in the court nodded slightly and smiled.
They really couldn't find anything wrong with Qi Jingtong's plan.
The investment was not high, and it only took three years to wipe out the Japanese pirates roaming the coastal areas.
From both a cost and outcome perspective, Qi Jingtong's plan is undeniably cost-effective.
But Zhu Houzhao gave a disdainful sneer upon hearing this.
"Hahaha, 50,000 taels of silver, 200,000 shi of grain, 5,000 sets of armor, 1,000 Shenji Battalion soldiers... Qi Jingtong, do you take me for a beggar?!"
"After all that talk, you're only asking me for this meager amount? Are you afraid I can't provide more support?!"
Qi Jingtong's heart was pounding, and he was so excited that his mouth was dry and he felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest.
He looked at Zhu Houzhao on the dragon throne, his eyes filled with hope: "Then Your Majesty, what do you mean...?"
Zhu Houzhao waved his hand and called out, "Li Sui!"
"Your subject is here!"
Minister of Works Li Sui obeyed the order and stepped forward to lead the troops.
"Tell Qi Jingtong how many weapons I now possess!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Li Sui puffed out his chest and proudly announced, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Works has now produced 12,400 flintlock muskets and 820 rifled cannons!"
"Compared to previous muskets, each flintlock musket has a three-fold increase in rate of fire, a two-fold increase in power, a ten-fold increase in stability, and a three-fold increase in effective range!"
"Compared to the previous Red Coat Cannons, each breech-loading cannon boasts a fifty-fold increase in rate of fire, a ten-fold increase in explosive power, a ten-fold increase in stability, and a ten-fold increase in effective firing range!"
"In addition, the Ministry of Works has already built twelve steel steamships that are eighteen feet long, and three steel steamships that are forty-four feet long are still under construction."
"Compared to the previous wooden sailing ships, the steel steamships are twice as fast, twenty times more resistant to impact, thirty times more resistant to collisions, five times more capable of carrying cargo, and ten times more stable!"
Shock!
Shock!
I was shocked, utterly shocked!
Qi Jingtong's mouth gaped open uncontrollably, his whole body trembling with excitement.
He didn't know what flintlock muskets, breech-loading cannons, or steel steamships were.
However, Li Sui thoughtfully included a comparison of the performance of the musket, the red-coated cannon, and the wooden sailboat at the end.
Just from these multipliers, Qi Jingtong could imagine just how advanced these things were, and how devastating their use in battle would be.
Moreover, the Ministry of Industry has already produced so many of these powerful items, and will continue to produce them in the future.
Qi Jingtong could not even imagine how powerful the Ming Dynasty would become.
Not only Qi Jingtong, but all the civil and military officials were stunned, their eyes wide with shock, unable to believe their ears.
They had no idea that the Ministry of Works had quietly accomplished such a remarkable feat.
The appearance of these flintlock muskets, these rifled cannons, and these steel steamships will elevate the military strength of the Ming Dynasty to what extent?
In an instant, the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty had different thoughts.
Some ministers would laugh with joy and shed tears of excitement at the rise of the Ming Dynasty's overall national strength, their hearts filled with pride and satisfaction.
However, not all officials in the Ming Dynasty hoped that the country's strength would become stronger and stronger.
These officials feigned joy and happiness, but inwardly they were filled with mixed emotions and deep anxiety.
Traitors have existed throughout history, they are ever-present and ubiquitous.
Before everyone could recover from the shock of the new firearms, Zhu Houzhao dropped another bombshell.
"Zhou Jing!"
"Your subject is here."
"Tell Qi Jingtong how much silver and grain my treasury still has!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Zhou Jing stepped out of the queue, glanced at Qi Jingtong, and announced loudly, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Treasury currently holds a total of 14,270,000 taels of silver!"
"There are still 7.96 million shi of grain in the Jing-Tong granary!"
Zhou Jing's words sent another huge shock through the group of officials.
They never imagined that Zhu Houzhao's national treasury was already so wealthy!
The Ming Dynasty's wealth and military strength far exceeded their comprehension!
On the dragon throne, Zhu Houzhao looked at the shocked Qi Jingtong and spoke calmly.
"In addition, there are thirty million taels of silver in my private treasury."
"Fifty thousand taels of silver, two hundred thousand shi of grain, five thousand suits of armor... Qi Jingtong, are you sure you only want this little bit from me?"