My father is Jiajing

The reason why Zhu Zaigui mentioned Emperor Jiajing was not simply for the sake of "political correctness" or to emphasize the legitimacy of his own authority.

The reason why he mentioned at this time that Emperor Jiajing attached great importance to coastal defense was to give Qi Jiguang and other officers and soldiers who had made meritorious deeds at sea a reassurance, telling them that the court would not give up coastal defense.

In this way, these naval officers and soldiers will be able to devote their entire body, mind and dreams to the vast sea borders of the Ming Dynasty without any worries.

Otherwise, they always think that one day the imperial court will re-impose the maritime ban, and they will be useless. How can they form a strong fighting force then?

Therefore, Zhu Zaigui's intention of mentioning Emperor Jiajing this time was to tell them that the court would not change the current established national policy, and that the court would build the navy as an important military ideal now and in the future.

Qi Jiguang looked at Zhu Zaigui with high spirits, and bowed deeply again: "I will live up to your high expectations! I will guard the vast seas even if I die on the battlefield!"

Zhu Zaigui extended his hand to help Qi Jiguang up, and said with a smile: "I heard that you wrote a poem when you were fighting against the Japanese pirates at sea. The poem goes: I don't want to be a marquis, I just hope the sea is calm. When I first heard such honest advice, I was deeply moved. If everyone in the Ming Dynasty had such a sincere heart to serve the court and protect the peace of the people, why would the world be in turmoil and the bandits be in turmoil?"

When Qi Jiguang listened to Zhu Zaigui talking about his poems, his face turned red with excitement. He did not expect that this little poem he wrote had been passed on to Zhu Zaigui, and that Zhu Zaigui had memorized it so clearly and recited it in public on this exciting day.

Such glory is also an incomparable honor for Qi Jiguang.

Qi Jiguang said excitedly: "I am ashamed."

Zhu Zaigui laughed and said, "Why should you be ashamed, Mr. Qi? You have done a great job in wiping out the Japanese pirates in the southeast, and I am very happy. If someone as meritorious as you is not granted a title of nobility, then how can the court encourage meritorious people?"

"This time the treasure ship arrived at the port, I did not come here to watch the ceremony and review in vain. Before I left, I asked His Majesty to confer you the title of Earl of Dingyuan. I hope you can live up to His Majesty's grace, continue to work hard, achieve more extraordinary achievements, and achieve the title of marquis as soon as possible, and make a good story that will be passed down through the ages."

Zhu Zaigui had actually been planning to confer a title on Qi Jiguang three years ago.

However, the Japanese pirate rebellion had not yet been finally cleared up at that time, and the court had always been very serious about titles, and no one could be awarded a title without great merit.

Therefore, Zhu Zaigui could only remember the contributions of famous anti-Japanese generals like Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou for the time being, and reward them when the time was right.

Now that the new treasure ship has arrived at the port, it is also a moment of great attention and pride for all.

At such a moment, it is also an important time to implement exemplary education and patriotic education.

Then heroes like Qi Jiguang must be given special rewards!

Because only at such moments can countless ordinary people be inspired, feel proud, and be inspired to be patriotic and serve the country.

When Qi Jiguang heard that he was going to be conferred the title of Earl, and that the title was the name of the county where his ancestral hometown was, he felt that such an honor was rare even in ancient and modern times.

"I will thank God for His grace!"

Qi Jiguang excitedly bowed deeply to Zhu Zaigui.

Zhu Zaigui looked at the excited Qi Jiguang and smiled, "This is what you deserve. Besides, the title I requested this time is not just for you, but also for Yu Dayou. His title is the same as yours, both are named after the county where your hometown is from. In the future, you must cherish your titles and do not bring shame to the elders of your hometown."

Xu Jie and others stood behind Zhu Zaigui and listened to what Zhu Zaigui said to Qi Jiguang. They were actually very envious in their hearts.

Although in the current Ming Dynasty political system, the status of civil officials is much higher than that of military generals.

However, no matter how well a civil servant performs, at most he can be posthumously awarded the empty honorary titles of "Three Orphans and Three Dukes". If he is even better, he can only be awarded the title for three generations, allowing one or several descendants to become minor officials.

But it is different for military officers. If they can break through the restrictions and become noble officials like marquises and earls, then even if their families are marginalized, as long as the title remains, the family's dignity will always be there.

After talking about the title, Zhu Zaigui turned his attention to the treasure ship.

Zhu Zaigui walked to the bow of the treasure ship and looked up at the blue waves in the distance.

Zhu Zaigui said: "Your Majesty has given this treasure ship a name, and I hope you can live up to this name."

Qi Jiguang stood behind Zhu Zaigui and said, "Please give me a name, Your Majesty. I will live up to your Majesty's and Your Majesty's expectations!"

Zhu Zaigui looked back at Qi Jiguang, then his gaze passed over the crowd and looked at Zhang Juzheng who was standing behind Xu Jie and others.

"Mr. Zhang, please present the name bestowed by His Majesty."

Zhang Juzheng had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and he had always held a copy of Emperor Jiajing's imperial calligraphy in his hand.

Now, after hearing Zhu Zaigui's instructions, he immediately stepped out from the crowd and bowed before Zhu Zaigui.

"Oracle!"

Zhang Juzheng stood beside Zhu Zaigui, holding up the name of the treasure ship bestowed by Emperor Jiajing.

Qi Jiguang and other naval officers and soldiers immediately lined up on the front deck according to the order, and then knelt on one knee and bowed, saying: "Long live our emperor!"

The voices of thousands of officers and soldiers resounded through the sky, and immediately attracted countless gazes.

Zhang Juzheng opened the imperial edict in his hand and said loudly: "The name of the treasure ship granted by the emperor is Yongle!"

Zhang Juzheng's voice was also very excited, and he almost shouted out these two words in a broken voice.

When Qi Jiguang and others heard the word "Yongle", they excitedly shouted "Long live the Yongle" in unison.

Zhu Zaigui looked at Zhang Juzheng announcing the name of the treasure ship, and then at Qi Jiguang and other extremely excited officers and soldiers, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

It was actually Zhu Zaigui’s suggestion that this treasure ship be named "Yongle".

Zhu Zaigui said in his memorial to Emperor Jiajing that the treasure ship originated in the Yongle reign and flourished in all nations, and should be a model for all ages. Moreover, after the "Yongle" was used as a name, if the imperial court had treasure ships sailing across the sea again, they could also use the names of the previous emperors of the Ming Dynasty to make their power known to the world again.

When Emperor Jiajing saw Zhu Zaigui's memorial, he also thought that this suggestion was good.

After all, his reign title of Jiajing is the same as that of Yongle. If he can use "Yongle" now, then the next ship can also use "Jiajing"?
So with these "titles" listed side by side, wouldn't people subconsciously think that the achievements of "Jiajing" and "Yongle" are the same?

Therefore, after Zhu Zaigui presented this proposal to Emperor Jiajing, Emperor Jiajing's eyes immediately lit up.

Now Zhu Zaigui stood at the bow of the treasure ship, gazing into the distance, as if he saw the future glory of the Ming Dynasty through the vast blue sea.

He knew in his heart that this treasure ship named "Yongle" was not only a warship, but also a symbol of Ming Dynasty's maritime power and a reflection of the court's emphasis on coastal defense. He turned around and looked at the excited generals such as Qi Jiguang behind him, feeling very pleased.

"Qi Qing," Zhu Zaigui said slowly, his voice steady and powerful, "Today's sea trial of the treasure ship 'Yongle' is crucial. There are countless eyes watching inside and outside Tianjin Port. They are all eagerly looking forward to our Ming Dynasty recreating the glory of the Yongle era!"

"So, I want to make it clear now that this treasure ship is not only a symbol of the coastal defense power of our Ming Dynasty, but also a testimony to your future achievements in sailing around the outer seas of the Ming Dynasty and defending the sea borders."

"If you can live up to my expectations and His Majesty's expectations, and can perform extraordinary feats for the Ming Dynasty, I can guarantee that you and your future will leave a brilliant page in the history books!"

When Qi Jiguang heard Zhu Zaigui's words, he was even more excited.

He stepped forward, clasped his fists and bowed again, saying: "I am terrified! I have only done my duty. It is my honor to serve the court and defend the Ming Dynasty's sea borders. Today, the treasure ship has the presence of the prince and has been named "Yongle" by His Majesty. This is my supreme honor! I will live up to the grace of the emperor and defend the Ming Dynasty's sea borders to my death!"

Zhu Zaigui nodded slightly, his eyes sweeping over every naval officer and soldier present, as well as Xu Jie, Li Chunfang, Zhang Juzheng and others.

Zhu Zaigui continued, "I understand your hearts. Your Majesty will understand too!"

"The world today has quietly undergone earth-shaking changes!"

"Westerners who were once ignored by us are now able to travel across the oceans and travel between the Ming Dynasty and the corners of the world we don't know about."

"Not only did they build a huge ship that was no less powerful than ours without our knowledge, they also built powerful firearms that terrified us!"

"So, the comfort we thought of and the dream of being the Celestial Empire began to be affected by their rise."

"Mencius said: 'Born in sorrow, die in comfort.' Now our Ming Dynasty has been enjoying comfort for hundreds of years. If we continue to enjoy comfort like this, we will forget the sense of danger."

"Then it will not only be the Ming Dynasty that will be in danger, but also the Chinese civilization that has been inherited and passed down for thousands of years will face the risk of being wiped out by other races!"

"So, I want you to understand that the era of peace and comfort is over, and the era of great conflict has begun on the sea."

"If we can still be alert now, then everything is still not too late. If we turn a blind eye and a deaf ear, and are still blindly arrogant, thinking that the Celestial Empire has everything, then the barbarians and foreign countries are nothing to worry about."

"Then the fate that awaits us in the future will inevitably be an unprecedented crisis of national extinction."

"If such a crisis comes again, whether we can still be lucky enough to meet a hero like Emperor Taizu to help us clear the way and open up the innateness as we did 200 years ago, that is another story."

"Therefore, I want to warn you all that times have changed!"

Zhu Zaigui's words were extremely straightforward. As long as these people could listen to him a little bit, his loud shouting today would not be in vain!
After all, Zhu Zaigui had no way of making people of this era empathize with and know the humiliating history of China before he traveled through time.

So what Zhu Zaigui can do now is to exaggerate the threat from the sea as much as possible, so that these people can understand that there is always someone better than you.

As a soldier, Qi Jiguang felt the most deeply when he heard Zhu Zaigui's words.

In recent years, he has traveled between the open sea and the inland of the Ming Dynasty, and he has indeed witnessed foreign warships whose military strength is not inferior to that of the Ming Dynasty.

Although the number of these warships was not large, the foreign enemies on the warships were not too strong either.

But if it is really as Zhu Zaigui predicted, these foreigners from unknown places, if they really come in large numbers one day, driving stronger and larger warships, equipped with firearms that surpass those of the Ming Dynasty.

Then, if the Ming Dynasty wants to catch up again, I wonder what price it will have to pay!

Moreover, sometimes even if you pay a price, there may not be any reward.

Therefore, the current strategy is to be prepared for danger in times of peace and to take the initiative to develop.

Never fall behind any unknown enemy!

Then Zhu Zaigui continued to say to Qi Jiguang and others:
"The court's trust in you has never wavered. The launch of the 'Yongle' treasure ship today is not only a recognition of your past achievements, but also an expectation for the future of coastal defense. I hope that you can continue to carry forward your achievements and lead our Ming navy to travel across the world and enhance our national prestige!"

Qi Jiguang and others responded in unison: "We will definitely live up to your high expectations!"

Zhu Zaigui smiled slightly, then turned to look at Zhang Juzheng and said, "Mr. Zhang, I need you to record today's events in detail and report to His Majesty."

"I hope that Your Majesty can also see the mighty posture of our Great Ming Navy and the solid foundation of our Great Ming Coastal Defense."

Zhang Juzheng said respectfully: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will record it truthfully. Today's events will also be recorded in history and become an important chapter in the coastal defense of our Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Zaigui nodded with satisfaction, then looked at Qi Jiguang and said, "Qi Qing, I have something else to discuss with you."

Qi Jiguang said respectfully: "Your Majesty, please speak."

Zhu Zaigui pondered for a moment and said slowly: "I know that you have been fighting against Japanese pirates on the southeast coast for many years and have accumulated rich experience in naval warfare."

"Now, although the Japanese pirates have been basically eliminated, the threat at sea has not been completely eliminated. I hope that you can continue to lead the navy, strengthen training, and improve combat effectiveness in case of emergency."

Qi Jiguang nodded and said, "Your Majesty is right. I will definitely strengthen the training, improve the navy's combat effectiveness, and ensure that the sea borders of our Ming Dynasty are safe and sound."

Zhu Zaigui nodded with satisfaction, then looked at Zhang Juzheng and said, "Mr. Zhang, I have something else to discuss with you."

Zhang Juzheng said respectfully, "Your Majesty, please speak."

Zhu Zaigui said slowly: "I hope that the Ministry of War can increase its investment in coastal defense, not only to build more treasure ships, but also to strengthen coastal fortifications and improve the equipment level of the navy. I know that this requires a lot of silver, but for the long-term stability of the Ming Dynasty, these investments are worth it."

Zhang Juzheng pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Your Majesty is right. I will definitely advocate the importance of coastal defense in the court and win more support."

Zhu Zaiyi nodded slightly, "That's great!"

Then Zhu Zaigui turned to Qi Jiguang and said, "Prepare for the sea trial!"

----

Fixed it! Please give me a monthly ticket

(End of this chapter)