Golden Branch

"There's a Japanese country on Treasure Island?"

Wang Heng was stunned for a moment. She thought that place was still deserted.

There may be indigenous people, but they are probably uncivilized savages.

But from what Lou Yu said, they have a king and can send envoys to Dayu, so it seems that they are a relatively regulated country.

Maybe it's similar to the Turks and Tubo.

However, even in the primitive times, it still had an independent regime, a king, and an army, rather than a no-man's land that could be exploited by anyone.

"Yes, it is recorded in history books, Ah Heng. The Treasure Island you are talking about is the Wa Kingdom."

"However, he is just a barbarian. Even if he declares himself king, he is nothing."

As a traditional scholar-official, Lou Yu has the pride of the Celestial Empire in his bones.

In his eyes, Japan was just a barbarian country that needed to be civilized.

They should submit to Dayu and regard Dayu as their master.

As for the gold and silver mines on the island, if Dayu needs them, they should offer them to him.

Of course, as the Celestial Empire, the Dayu Dynasty had the demeanor of a great power and would not treat its many vassal states unfairly.

"The Saint has issued an edict allowing the Japanese envoys to enter the capital."

Accepting an envoy means having the intention to make friends.

Once the two countries formally establish a master-servant relationship, the sage will naturally give them other rewards.

"No!"

Wang Mian heard the pride and tolerance of the Celestial Empire from Lou Yu's words.

This is a gift unique to the Celestial Empire. It may be given to other foreign countries, but a small island does not deserve it!

"Lou Langjun, Ajiu, the people in this place are different from others."

"They know small etiquette but lack great righteousness, they are particular about small matters but lack great virtue, they value trivial matters but neglect integrity and shame, they fear power but do not cherish virtue, when they are strong they will rob and invade, when they are weak they will be subservient."

"When the dynasty is strong, they are the most loyal dogs. But once they become powerful, they will kill their masters."

"They have lost all humanity, they are ungrateful, they... are beasts!"

Wang Mian had never been so excited.

Whenever she thought of a certain small island, many tragic events that had broken the hearts of Chinese people would emerge in her mind.

They learned the civilization of the Celestial Empire, but in the following thousand years, they became enemies of the Celestial Empire several times.

It almost brought about the destruction of the Chinese nation and the extinction of the race.

Even if Wang Mian traveled through time, he could not let go of this hatred and resentment.

At this point, they haven't developed yet, so they are simply nipped in the bud.

Even if they cannot be completely wiped out, they must be made into gold and silver mines for the Celestial Empire, rather than a mortal enemy that can grow powerful.

Wang Heng and Lou Yu were both stunned.

They have known Wang Mian for more than ten years and have seen Wang Mian hate someone or something.

But this is the first time he has looked so disgusted.

Is Japan really so "dangerous"?

How could Amian be so afraid?!

"A Mian, are you okay?"

Wang Heng raised her hand and gently held Wang Mian's arm.

Only then did Wang Mian realize that he was trembling with excitement.

She was really anxious and really angry.

The development of an island nation is achieved by drawing nutrients bit by bit from China.

Sending envoys to the Sui and Tang dynasties was ostensibly a proof of friendly diplomatic relations, but in reality it was nurturing a tiger to cause trouble.

They do not deserve, let alone the brilliant civilization and advanced culture of the Celestial Empire.

But after Wang Mian got over his excitement, he also realized that given the tolerance and open-mindedness inherent in the Chinese people, if someone was eager to learn, they would definitely teach him everything they knew.

And the thing about ghosts and animals is that they are best at hypocrisy.

They always show humility and courtesy. Even when killing someone, they will bow first, smile and then draw their butcher knife fiercely.

The Chinese people cannot refuse such a studious student.

The current saint is also a wise and benevolent monarch who can become the Heavenly Khan.

He is as open as the sea and willing to be the ruler of the world.

Faced with foreign countries that actively seek peace, a saint will never refuse.

Therefore, sending envoys to Yu cannot be refused, and it is bound to become a trend in the next few years or even decades.

Since we cannot stop it, we must do everything we can to gain benefits.

"I'm fine! I just really hate them!"

"They admire the strong, but don't mind the weak..."

As soon as they are mentioned, Wang Mian has a lot of national treasures in his mind.

However, Wang Mian wasn't just going to talk it out. She raised her head, her eyes sparkling, "Lord Lou, you just said our fleet brought back a ship full of gold and silver?"

"……right!"

When Lou Yu mentioned this, his expression was a little subtle.

I originally thought that the Treasure Island that Wang Mian mentioned was a no-man's land, but I didn't expect that it already had an independent regime.

Of course, Lou Yu is not a conservative and pedantic scholar. He is a powerful person and now a politician.

What he cared about was peace in the world and prosperity of the people in Dayu.

So what if they have an independent regime? It is adjacent to Dayu, which is their back garden.

The only thing Lou Yu had to consider was that Treasure Island was not adjacent to Dayu, and there was an ocean between them, so it was not cheap to travel back and forth.

The fleet sent by Wang Heng this time took more than a year to return safely.

During this period, there were indeed some people who went there for the first time and had to compete with the local indigenous people.

But the round trip journey is indeed a bit far.

There are even more dangers on the sea.

Whether the silver and money spent on the entire voyage is equal to the gold and silver that can be dug back requires further calculation.

As long as the profits are big enough, Lou Yu will continue to send people to mine.

But if that's the case... then we can only give up.

Lou Yu's expression remained unchanged, but he had already calculated the pros and cons very clearly in his mind.

"Lord Lou, I know that the cost of a round trip for the fleet is enormous, and it may not be worth the gold and silver we can dig up!"

"But isn't Japan sending envoys? When they arrive in the capital and see the wealth, splendor, and splendid culture of Dayu, they will surely be drawn to it!"

"Perhaps, sending envoys to Dayu to study regularly will become a common practice."

"Lou Langjun, although we like to teach others, knowledge is precious and cannot be given for free."

"Ordinary teachers have to pay tuition fees to accept students. What's more, it's between countries?"

"Dayu has advanced knowledge they need to learn, and they have astonishing reserves of gold and silver mines. So, why not have them bring enough gold and silver as 'supply fees' every time they come?"

"You can call it a tribute! Anyway, I can't just come to Dayu with some worthless junk to 'steal'!"

Wang Mian knew that the Celestial Empire had always emphasized the demeanor of a great power since ancient times.

But, big countries also have to live their lives.

You must never be ashamed to talk about money, and you must not only care about appearance but also about substance.

If we must give this money a "noble" name, we would define it as tuition.

Wang Mian was clicking the abacus beads, and his speech was very fluent.

A smile flashed in Lou Yu's eyes. Although Wang Mian was a bit materialistic and shallow, she still made people feel her closeness and sincerity towards the Celestial Empire.

She loves this land very much, and has admiration and respect for the Celestial Empire from the depths of her soul.

It was because he felt Wang Mian's innocent heart that Lou Yu did not care too much about her background.

She is not an outlier and has no second thoughts about the Celestial Empire.

"Wang Mian, I don't know why you are so wary and disgusted with these Japanese! But, I believe you!"

Lou Yu said gently, "I know you wouldn't do this without a purpose. You must have your reasons!"

Wang Mian is truly dedicated to the Celestial Empire.

Although Lou Yu only considered Wang Mian half of his own, this half was also the limit.

It was also enough to make Lou Yu believe what she said and consider it seriously.

After the Japanese envoys arrive in Beijing, Lou Yu will pay special attention to them.

Lou Yu will also carefully consider matters concerning gold and silver mines.

Lou Yu did not say clearly what would happen, nor did he directly agree to Wang Mian's suggestion.

But Wang Mian was still relieved.

Because Lou Yu listened to her words and was willing to believe them, that was enough!

For a big shot like Lou Yu who is active in the court, as long as it is something he cares about, he will handle it properly and perfectly.

And when a powerful official starts to scheme, some people are doomed to be in trouble, let alone taking advantage!

……

Time flies, and it’s New Year’s Day in a blink of an eye.

According to the rules, a banquet is held in the palace every New Year's Day.

This year will be no exception.

The saint has been on the throne for two years and has firmly established himself in the court. The former emperor and his confidants have all accepted their fate and are no longer struggling.

The sage's control over the court became increasingly profound.

The palace banquets became more and more lively, and began to show the prosperity that could only be seen in prosperous times.

However, amidst the splendor, there are slight flaws——

"The Queen doesn't look well. Ganlu Palace has been filled with the smell of medicine for half a month."

After Lou Yu came back from the palace banquet, he didn't even change out of his bright red official uniform, but went straight across the back mountain to find Wang Heng.

Sitting cross-legged, Lou Yu took the hot tea handed to him by Wang Heng and sipped it twice. Then he said with a hint of worry, "It seems the Queen's old illness has relapsed!"

Queen Li is not only the queen, she is also the spiritual pillar of the saint and the umbrella that supports the prince.

If anything happens to her, the court, which has just been stabilized, will be greatly shaken.

It might be a bit of an exaggeration to say that the world has been turned upside down, but the impact is definitely huge.

"The Queen's illness, the special medicine that A Mian prepared is ineffective?"

Wang Heng naturally knew the importance of Queen Li, and she was also a little worried.

"Wang Mian's medicine is mainly for reducing fever and inflammation. She also got some medicine for external injuries, but the Queen's illness is a congenital and stubborn disease."

It's not a cold or high fever, nor is it a trauma.

Wang Mian's magical skills are useless to the queen.

After drinking the tea, Lou Yu felt his body warmed up from the inside out.

He casually put the teacup aside and sighed, "Actually, it's not just the Queen, the Crown Prince also suffers from this condition."

Wang Heng nodded. "I know. Amian said it's called heredity. If parents have a congenital disease, it will be passed on to their children."

"Yes! It's hereditary. I heard that the Queen's mother died of a heart attack at the age of only forty-six."

The Queen inherited her late mother's heart disease and is now over forty years old.

Her closest relatives, including the queen herself, were all worried that she might not live to see the ripe old age of knowing her destiny.

Although he lived a life of luxury, he also worked hard.

The queen also gave birth repeatedly, which damaged her vitality and made her health worse and worse.

If it weren't for the meticulous care of the Imperial Hospital's doctors and the miraculous doctors the sages had searched the world for, the Empress might have already—

Even so, the queen's health deteriorated.

I may still be able to host the palace banquet this year, but I’m not sure about next year.

After hearing what Lou Yu said, Wang Heng raised her head and looked towards the palace.

The majestic palace, decorated with red and colorful decorations, and the sound of firecrackers, fully demonstrate the festive and joyful atmosphere of the New Year.

However, there is a hint of gloom mixed in...

PS: It’s the last day of March, please give me your monthly vote, ahhhh!