Iron Dynasty

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Xiao Wenxuan's stern voice echoed through Chengqing Hall.

None of the ministers below voiced any opposition. The Great Yu Empire had just shaken off the humiliating tribute to the barbarians. Could a bunch of barbarians who suddenly appeared from nowhere force the Great Yu Empire to sign another humiliating treaty?

Moreover, in the ministers' eyes, the barbarians were the real enemy of the Great Yu Empire. These sea barbarians were insignificant— the ocean was just a strange word to them.

As for the Dutch continuing to harass along the coast, they did not care at all. After all, the one suffering was still the Chu King. Besides, the Dutch only dared to bully on the sea, never setting foot on land.

"Father, but if we don't agree to the Dutch demands, they will completely cut off maritime trade lines, which would be a huge loss for the Great Yu Empire," the Third Prince persisted.

He didn't care about the empire's dignity; what he wanted was a stable position. The Chu King's power and his own status were intertwined.

Xiao Wenxuan showed a trace of impatience. He had long harbored dissatisfaction with the foreign surname vassal kings but tolerated them for the sake of internal stability.

Although he was uninterested in the Dutch and didn't care about the Chu King's dealings with them, the fact that the Chu King deliberately concealed this matter was an insult to him.

These days, he had been reflecting on the mistakes he made ascending the throne. Excessive tolerance had not made these vassal kings grateful but only let their ambitions grow.

Now he could no longer cover for the foolish mistakes of these foreign surname vassal kings.

He said coldly, "The loss must have been heavy for the Chu King. If I'm not mistaken, because of the coastal pirate trouble, the imperial ships rarely sailed. The coast is mainly the Chu King's business. Even the Wei King has to watch the Chu King's face. Now that this trouble originated from him, he must bear it himself. And remember, you are the Great Yu Empire's Third Prince, not the Chu King's nephew!"

By the time he finished, Xiao Wenxuan's voice was full of warning.

These princes had become completely shameless, acting as pawns for the vassal kings in the capital, sacrificing everything for their own benefit. Before, Xiao Wenxuan turned a blind eye; now, his tolerance had reached its limit.

The Third Prince's face turned pale. Before, he had looked down on his weak father on the throne, but now a fear suddenly welled up from his heart.

Since the Second Prince was demoted to Bazhou, the princes' words and actions had gradually become more cautious. No one could challenge the supreme imperial authority.

Though Xiao Wenxuan's words were aimed at the Third Prince, his eyes swept over the Crown Prince, Fourth Prince, and others.

The Crown Prince and the others immediately lowered their heads in shame.

Snorting coldly, Xiao Wenxuan continued, "Fei Ji, stay. Everyone else, you may leave."

"Long live the emperor!"

The ministers shouted in unison, then gradually retreated. Many of the departing ministers looked on with envy.

The Fei family had four generations of grand ministers. Their disciples and former officials were spread throughout the empire. Now, with a son-in-law guarding the frontier, they had everything they could wish for.

After the ministers left, Xiao Wenxuan smiled, "Since the Qi King asked you to speak, it seems I have no choice but to support him building shipyards."

"Hehe, Your Majesty can't be kept in the dark. This matter is indeed serious. Currently, only the Chu King, Wei King, and Qi King have coastal fiefs. Among them, the Chu King and Wei King have the strongest navies. If the Dutch continue provoking, the Chu King and Wei King can still respond, but the Qi King will have a hard time."

"You make a good point. Before, I could still rely on the Wei King. But after the battle at Jizhou, he really disappointed me. I was fooled by his loyal appearance and didn't expect him to harbor ill intentions," Xiao Wenxuan sighed.

"Your Majesty need not be saddened. People can change. As long as the Wei King still supports the royal family, that is fortunate. And with the Qi King by his side, the Wei King certainly dares not act recklessly," Fei Ji comforted.

Nodding, Xiao Wenxuan said, "It's just a pity that after all these years and all the silver I spent from the treasury, I've only raised a wolf cub. As you said, the only way now is to support the Qi King, starting with the shipyards."

"Your Majesty is wise," Fei Ji smiled. "The Qi King is Your Majesty's son and much more reliable."

"Exactly." Xiao Wenxuan stood up and paced back and forth. "You take my imperial edict to find Qin Chengming. He is the supervisor of the Lesser Treasury. He knows exactly how many shipyards the court owns and how many craftsmen there are."

Hearing this, Fei Ji was relieved. Qin Chengming was Qin Rui's father, and Qin Rui had always been friendly with Xiao Ming. Qin Chengming would surely give his full effort in this matter.

Receiving Xiao Wenxuan's orders, Fei Ji responded and left immediately.

Watching Fei Ji disappear from Chengqing Hall, Xiao Wenxuan sighed and said to Feng Deshui, "I hope I have not misjudged Xiao Ming this time."

"Your Majesty's vision is like a beacon. How could you misjudge him? I also think the Qi King is excellent, at least far more down-to-earth than the other princes. And the Qi King never liked playing political games, unlike Ning—"

At the mention of "Ning," Feng Deshui immediately stopped speaking, knelt down in fear, and said, "Your Majesty, I am guilty."

"Ah, never mind. I forgive you," Xiao Wenxuan said softly.

In the past, he would have been furious, but today he only sighed slightly. Time had passed, and he had gradually forgotten many things.

Hearing this, Feng Deshui cautiously stood and chuckled awkwardly, "Your Majesty, I have already arranged to transport the hot air balloon outside the city. Today is a perfect day for ascending and gazing afar."

"Let's go." Since riding the hot air balloon, Xiao Wenxuan had grown fond of ascending in it to survey the land. He smiled and walked out with Feng Deshui.

Meanwhile, Fei Ji had arrived at the Lesser Treasury and found Qin Chengming, who was going over the accounts.

"Registered shipyards?" Qin Chengming asked in surprise.

"Correct. Your Majesty has issued orders to dispatch elite craftsmen from these shipyards to the Qi King. Check the accounts and see how many craftsmen there are," Fei Ji said.

Qin Chengming smiled, "No need to check the accounts. All of this is in my head. The royal family currently owns twelve shipyards: one large, four medium, and seven small. In total, there are 26,000 craftsmen. If half are dispatched, that would be 13,000."

"The Lesser Treasury Supervisor is indeed diligent in his duties. In that case, please ensure that skilled craftsmen are sent to Qi's territory," Fei Ji cupped his hands in respect.

Qin Chengming returned the gesture, "Since this is for the Qi King, I will do my utmost."