All the members are good people, only the host is a pervert

The emperor died, but Lin Ruan was still alive, acting as regent under the title of Princess Zhenguo.

Over time, fleets dispatched by the imperial court repeatedly took to the seas, and this enthusiasm gradually spread to the common people, with many private fleets following suit and embarking on the maritime trade route. These merchants varied in size, some powerful, others relatively small. However, regardless of size, they always returned with abundant wealth, making a fortune.

However, with the increasing frequency of overseas trade, the risks of going overseas are also increasing.

What was the reason? It turned out that a large number of bandits had suddenly appeared on the sea, appearing and disappearing mysteriously, plundering everywhere.

The imperial fleet might have escaped disaster thanks to its formidable strength, but the coastal fishermen and smaller fleets were not so lucky. Every time they hoisted their sails and prepared to go out to sea for fishing or trade, those nasty bandits would follow them like ghosts. Their ships were looted, and some even lost their lives.

The problem of bandits not only made the people miserable, but also caused endless debate in the court.

"Princess!" An imposing military officer in armor stepped out, clasped his fists in salute, and then spoke loudly, "Your Majesty, Princess, as far as I know, these bandits are mostly remnants of the Japanese rebellion. They have dared to attack our merchant caravans time and again, clearly harboring ill intentions and utter malice towards our great nation, Dasheng! To protect the supreme dignity of Dasheng, I implore Your Majesty to dispatch a large army to encircle and suppress these bandits and ensure the safety of the people of Dasheng!"

Before he could finish his words, the Minister of Revenue stood up and expressed his strong opposition. He argued righteously, "Marching and fighting are extremely expensive, requiring a huge investment of money, food, and military supplies. But after defeating these bandits, what tangible rewards will we gain? I simply cannot agree with such a waste of resources and manpower!"

Immediately afterwards, the Minister of War echoed the Minister of Revenue's opinion, cupping his hands and saying, "While our army is undoubtedly powerful and valiant, our navy has always been a weak point. If we rashly dispatch troops to suppress the bandits under these circumstances, I am deeply concerned!"

Lin Ruan swept her gaze around the court, where everyone bowed their heads in silence. She knew that each of these ministers had their own agendas, and she had even heard that some officials were secretly colluding with bandits to gain wealth.

"Do you have any good ideas, my dear ministers?" asked the little emperor.

At this moment, a refined official stepped forward and offered advice to the emperor: "Your Highness, I boldly propose a divide-and-rule strategy. We could send special envoys to recruit the stronger bandits. If we can resolve the issue peacefully, not only can we avoid the enormous losses that come with war, but we can also demonstrate the prestige and magnanimity of our Great Sheng Dynasty."

However, this statement was strongly refuted by the military officer standing nearby: "Recruit them? These bandits are the remnants of the Japanese who fled. They hate Dasheng to the core. Why should we recruit them? Are we going to hand over the current Toyo Province to us again?"

The military officer then bowed and saluted, speaking righteously, "Princess, please forgive my frankness. Those who are not of our race must have different hearts! The remnants of the Japanese will never willingly submit to our Great Sheng Dynasty. In my humble opinion, only by completely eradicating them can we put an end to this threat!"

"My dear minister, what you say makes sense." Lin Ruan nodded slightly, agreeing with the military officer's statement, and then said, "But if we mobilize a large army to suppress the bandits, it will inevitably waste people's money and resources."

"The princess is right!" the civil servant quickly agreed.

A young military officer knelt on one knee, clasped his hands together, and respectfully saluted the emperor. "Your Majesty, Princess, I believe that what you have said is quite insightful. In my opinion, we can raise a navy, but this fleet will not be solely responsible for suppressing bandits. Its main task should be to escort merchant caravans out to sea. Any merchant caravan willing to accept the navy's escort must pay a certain amount of silver as security fees. If any bandits are encountered along the way, they can be directly annihilated without the need for a painstaking search across the vast ocean. In the long run, the bandits will die out on their own due to the loss of their livelihood."

When the Minister of Revenue heard this, his eyes lit up and he couldn't help but clapping his hands in admiration: "This is a brilliant plan! In this way, not only will we not have to mobilize a large number of military forces to suppress the bandits, but we can also ensure the safety of the common people, and at the same time make those sea merchants pay money willingly." His joy was beyond words.

Lin Ruan cast his gaze towards the military officer, and after a quick look, he asked, "Your name is... Yang Chunhua? Are you the grandson of General Yang?"

The military officer nodded and replied, "Princess, it is you, my humble servant."

Upon seeing this, the Minister of War couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Great! What a great grandson! He truly lives up to his grandfather's great reputation!"

Back then, the Auxiliary General was a formidable figure on the battlefield, yet two years ago, after helping Lin Ruan quell the rebellion, he resolutely resigned and retired; his father now holds only a minor official position. In this generation, Yang Chunhua is the only one in the Yang family still serving in the military.

The young emperor personally appointed Yang Chunhua as the admiral of the Zhejiang Navy and ordered him to carefully select soldiers from the army to form a navy team led by him.

Faced with such an honor, Yang Chunhua did not shirk his responsibility, but knelt down without hesitation to express his gratitude and expressed his determination to fulfill his mission.

Before long, the first caravans, escorted by the navy, sailed safely out of the harbor. As expected, they encountered several vicious bandits along the way, but they were all easily defeated. Since then, more and more caravans have sought the navy's protection.

Lin Ruan smiled slightly after hearing this: "This boy is quite resourceful! Although he was already prepared because of my reminder, he was able to grasp the opportunity so accurately. He is truly a promising talent."

No wonder General Fuguo would rather give up his own son's future and push his grandson to a high position.

As expected, the effectiveness of the navy's escort efforts became increasingly pronounced, and maritime trade flourished. However, this caused dissatisfaction among some. The bandit activities gradually decreased, and the money they could earn dwindled. Consequently, they decided to join forces, uniting the bandits and planning a large-scale attack to break through the defenses. However, they were successfully defeated by the navy led by Yang Chunhua.

This incident also made the young emperor furious, and he ordered a thorough investigation of officials who colluded with the bandits. For a time, everyone in the court was in danger.

But Lin Ruan no longer cared about these things. She was just the regent princess, not the emperor. If she meddled in everything, people would think she was trying to seize the throne, which would only make her annoying. She was like an irresponsible sower, simply scattering seeds on the ground and then leaving them alone, giving them a push when the time was right, and then withdrawing, not caring about the flowers blooming in her wake.